Postdoctoral Scholar – Microbiome, Nutrition and Host Protection

University of California San Francisco; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

The Lynch Lab at UCSF is seeking a Postdoctoral Scholar to investigate how prenatal and early-life diet, the gut microbiome, and microbial metabolites shape infant susceptibility to respiratory infection and childhood asthma.

The project integrates multi-omics, high-throughput microbiome cultivation, and host-response assays, with opportunities to develop mechanistic and translational research skills in a highly collaborative environment.

Qualifications

• PhD, MD or equivalent in microbiology, immunology, computational biology, bioinformatics, nutrition, biochemistry, molecular biology, or a related field.
• Candidates nearing completion may be considered.
• Strong interest in microbiome, nutrition, metabolism and host immunity.

Responsibilities

• Investigate how prenatal and early-life diet, gut microbiome and microbial metabolites shape infant susceptibility to respiratory infection and childhood asthma.
• Work with human cohorts and tractable microbiome systems; perform multi-omic discovery and functional validation.
• Develop mechanistic and translational approaches in a collaborative, interdisciplinary environment.
• Contribute to experimental design, data integration and manuscript preparation.

Skills

Microbiome science

Microbial ecology

Bioinformatics

Metabolomics

High-throughput culture

Host-response assays

Mammalian cell culture

Quantitative analysis

Scientific communication

Independent + collaborative

Education

PhD/MD or equivalent

Tools

Bioinformatics pipelines

Job description

Postdoctoral Scholar – Microbiome, Nutrition & Host Protection

Lynch Lab | University of California, San Francisco

TheLynch Lab at UCSFis seeking an outstanding and highly motivatedPostdoctoral Scholarto investigate howprenatal and early-life diet, the gut microbiome, and microbial metabolites shape infant susceptibility to respiratory infection and childhood asthma.

This interdisciplinary project will integratehuman cohort studies, multi-omics, high-throughput microbiome cultivation, and functional host-response assaysto identify dietary and microbial factors that promote resilience to viral infection. The successful candidate will work at the interface of microbiome science, nutrition, computational biology, microbial metabolism, and host immunity, with opportunities to develop both mechanistic and translational research expertise.

Ideal Candidate

We are seeking a creative, collaborative scientist who is excited by questions at the intersection ofmicrobial ecology, nutrition, metabolism, and host immunity. The ideal candidate will have several of the following skills:

• Microbiome science and microbial ecology, including experience computational and bioinformatic approachesfor integrating high-dimensional multi-omic datasets generated from complex microbial communities
• Microbial metabolism, particularly the ability to connect dietary substrates, microbial functions, and metabolite production
• High-throughput in vitro microbiome cultivationor microbial culture-based approaches
• Metabolomics, including analysis and interpretation of lipid and other small-molecule metabolites
• Mammalian cell culture and host-response assays, including epithelial and/or Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell models
• Experience studyingviral infection, antiviral responses, epithelial biology, or immune functionis highly desirable
• Strong quantitative, analytical, and problem-solving skills
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• A demonstrated ability to work independently while contributing effectively to ahighly collaborative, interdisciplinary research environment

Candidates with expertise in computational biology, microbial physiology, metabolomics, immunology, or microbiome experimental systemsare encouraged to apply. We are particularly interested in scientists who want to combine computational discovery with experimental validation rather than working exclusively in either domain.

Why Join the Lynch Lab?

This project offers an opportunity to address a fundamental question in early-life biology:

How do maternal and infant nutrition shape the gut microbiome and its metabolic products to determine susceptibility or resilience to infection?

The successful candidate will work withhuman longitudinal cohorts and experimentally tractable microbiome systems, moving from multi-omic discovery to functional validation of findings in model systems. The project is designed to uncover mechanisms that can ultimately inform strategies forpreventing early life infection, promoting healthy immune development and protection against asthma.

The Lynch Lab is part of the vibrant interdisciplinary research environment atUCSF, with opportunities for collaboration across microbiome science, pediatrics, immunology, infectious diseases, computational biology, nutrition, and translational medicine.

Qualifications

Applicants should have aPhD, MD, or equivalent doctoral degreein microbiology, immunology, computational biology, bioinformatics, nutrition, biochemistry, molecular biology, or a related discipline. Candidates nearing completion of their doctoral training may also be considered.

We valuescientific curiosity, intellectual independence, rigor, creativity, and a willingness to learn new approaches. No single candidate is expected to possess every skill listed above; complementary expertise is available in the Lynch lab, however strong motivation to develop new technical capabilities is highly valued.