Staff Scientist

Baylor College of Medicine; Houston (TX); On-site; USD 100,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading medical research institution in Houston is seeking a Staff Scientist to investigate T-cell dysfunction post-transplant. The role involves leading mechanistic studies using advanced techniques such as CRISPR and single-cell genomics. Candidates must possess a Doctoral degree and three years of postdoctoral experience, with strong expertise in epigenetics and T-cell biology. This position offers opportunities for professional growth in a collaborative environment.

Benefits

Collaborative environment

Access to state-of-the-art platforms

Mentorship in grant writing

Qualifications

• Doctoral Degree is required; no substitutions.
• Three years of postdoctoral research experience required.

Responsibilities

• Lead studies on donor T-cell dysfunction post-allo-HCT.
• Apply single-cell approaches to map dysfunctional T-cell states.
• Identify regulators of T-cell persistence and exhaustion.
• Collaborate to integrate multi-omics datasets.
• Mentor trainees and contribute to team science efforts.
• Contribute to manuscripts, presentations, and grant applications.
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

Skills

Epigenetic/chromatin biology

T-cell biology

Data analysis skills

Collaboration across projects

Education

Doctoral Degree

Ph.D. in Immunology or related fields

Tools

CRISPR/Cas9

Single-cell transcriptomics

ATAC-seq

CITE-seq

Job description

Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Summary

We are seeking a highly motivated Staff Scientist to join our team investigating the mechanisms of T-cell dysfunction and immune evasion following allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT). Our laboratory integrates expertise in epigenetics, chromatin regulation, and immunology to understand how altered gene regulatory programs drive T-cell exhaustion, impaired graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) responses, and post-transplant relapse in acute myeloid leukemia. The Staff Scientist will play a central role in developing and leading mechanistic projects, applying chromatin profiling, CRISPR functional genomics, and single-cell multi-omics to dissect the regulatory networks underlying T-cell dysfunction and identify therapeutic strategies to restore immune surveillance.

What We Offer

• A highly collaborative environment bridging epigenetics, immunology, and cancer therapy.
• Access to state-of-the-art single-cell platforms, CRISPR libraries, and mouse models for allo-HCT and leukemia.
• Opportunities for professional growth, including mentorship in grant writing.

Job Duties

• Lead mechanistic studies of donor T-cell dysfunction post-allo-HCT, with a focus on chromatin regulators, histone modifications, and transcriptional/epigenetic drivers of exhaustion.
• Apply single-cell transcriptomics, epigenomics (ATAC-seq, CUT&Tag), and CITE-seq to map dysfunctional T-cell states in murine models and patient samples.
• Use CRISPR/Cas9 screening and perturbation approaches to identify novel regulators of T-cell persistence, effector function, and exhaustion.
• Collaborate with wet-lab and computational teams to integrate multi-omics datasets with clinical outcomes.
• Mentor trainees and contribute to team science efforts, including multi-PI grants and translational collaborations.
• Contribute to manuscripts, conference presentations, and grant applications.
• Perform other job related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Doctoral Degree. Experience may not be substituted in lieu of degree.
• Three years of post doctoral research experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Immunology, Epigenetics, Computational Biology, or related fields.
• Strong publication record with first-author papers in relevant areas.
• Demonstrated expertise in epigenetic/chromatin biology and its role in immune regulation or cancer biology.
• Hands-on experience with T-cell biology, single-cell approaches, or CRISPR screening.
• Strong data analysis skills and ability to work collaboratively across experimental and computational projects.
• Experience studying T-cell exhaustion, GVHD/GVL biology, or allo-HCT models.
• Knowledge of checkpoint pathways, metabolic regulation, or cytokine signaling in T cells.
• Background in integrating clinical datasets with mechanistic studies.
• Familiarity with drug discovery approaches (e.g., PROTACs, epigenetic inhibitors) that may reverse T-cell dysfunction.

Baylor College of Medicine is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Equal Access Employer.