Postdoctoral Fellow (NIDCR)

National Institutes of Health; Bethesda (MD); Presencial; USD 52.000 - 71.000; Jornada completa

Descripción de la vacante

NIH National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research in Bethesda, MD invites applications for a postdoctoral fellow in the Salivary Disorders Unit and Sjögren’s Disease Clinic.

The successful candidate will study immune-mediated salivary disorders using single-cell RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, and immune-receptor profiling, with a focus on antigen discovery and T-cell interactions in patient-derived models.

Formación

• PhD in immunology or a closely related field is required.
• Strong experience with single-cell and spatial transcriptomics techniques is essential.
• Experience with antigen discovery and immune-receptor profiling is desirable.

Responsabilidades

• Define disease-associated immune responses using integrated single-cell transcriptomics, immune-receptor profiling, and spatial transcriptomics.
• Discover antigens de novo by applying cellular engineering to patient-derived T-cell receptors.
• Investigate cellular interactions in situ using patient-derived organotypic cultures and assess antigen-driven inflammation and gland dysfunction.

Conocimientos

Single-cell transcriptomics

Immune profiling

Spatial transcriptomics

Cell engineering

T cell biology

Educación

PhD in Immunology or related field

Herramientas

Spatial transcriptomics platforms

Organoid culture

Descripción del empleo

NIH National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, Bethesda, MD and surrounding area

Scientific focus area

Genetics and Genomics,Immunology,Computational Biology

The Salivary Disorders Unit and Sjögren’s Disease Clinic, led by Dr. Blake M. Warner, is now seeking a postdoctoral fellow to join their team.

About the position

The Salivary Disorders Unit and Sjögren’s Disease Clinic studies immune-mediated salivary disorders to provide insights into human immunology, salivary biology, and antigen discovery. We combine patient samples, single-cell and spatial transcriptomics, immune-receptor profiling, cell engineering, and patient-derived organotypic cultures to identify how disease-associated T cells recognize and follow immune-to-immune and immune-to-epithelial cell interactions in situ.

Our unit combines a Sjögren’s disease clinic with a laboratory investigating the cellular and molecular mechanisms of salivary gland dysfunction. This setting provides a direct path from observations in patient biopsies to antigen discovery and functional experiments in human cellular systems.

Furthermore, this position builds on an existing collaborative effort leveraging TScan-II study (Haj Dezfulian et al., Cell, 2023), which identified self-antigens recognized by clonally expanded CD4⁺ T cells from patients with Sjögren’s disease and mapped their expression in affected salivary glands. Our complementary single-cell and spatial study of GZMK⁺CD8⁺ T cells (Pranzatelli, et al., Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 2025) identified selective changes in the acinar-cell compartment and investigated immune–epithelial interactions using patient-derived epithelial cells and autologous T-cell co-cultures.

To advance these efforts, this prospective fellow will define disease-associated immune responses through integrate single-cell transcriptomics, immune-receptor profiling, and spatial transcriptomics. This fellow will also work to discover antigens de novo by applying cellular engineering to identify antigens recognized by patient-derived CD8⁺ and CD4⁺ T-cell receptors. Lastly, this fellow will investigate cellular interactions in situ using patient-derived organotypic cultures and test how antigen recognition shapes inflammation and epithelial dysfunction.

We welcome candidates who bring enthusiasm and a depth in a complementary area and the motivation to develop expertise across human immunology, antigen discovery, and spatial tissue biology.

Disclaimer/Fine Print

U.S. citizens and permanent residents are eligible to apply. NIH welcomes foreign nationals with the exception of individuals from this list .