Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Dentistry, Department of Oral and Craniofacial Biology

Summary:

The Philips Institute for Oral Health Research at the VCU School of Dentistry is seeking a full-time Postdoctoral Fellow to join the Lab of Oral & Craniofacial Innovation (LOCI). This position is ideal for a highly motivated scientist interested in applying single-cell and spatial multiomic technologies to dissect the molecular architecture of the human airway and upper aerodigestive tract. The lab focuses on understanding how multicellular systems are dysregulated in diseases such as cancer, autoimmunity, and infection using a systems biology approach across both adult and pediatric tissues. The postdoctoral fellow will contribute to high-impact, NIH-funded projects involving spatial transcriptomics, spatial proteomics, and integrative analyses of epithelial, stromal, vascular, and immune compartments across the oral cavity, nasal mucosa, and lower airways. In addition to wet lab work, the candidate will participate in developing and applying cutting-edge computational tools in collaboration with leading bioinformatics teams. This role is central to expanding LOCI’s mission in precision medicine and spatial diagnostics and will be co-aligned with initiatives across VCU and Massey Cancer Center. The fellow will work in a collaborative, cross-disciplinary environment and have opportunities for leadership, mentoring, and career development, including potential independence through pilot grants and fellowships.

Position Responsibilities:

The postdoctoral fellow will be responsible for designing and leading experiments involving single-cell RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics technologies such as Xenium and MERSCOPE, and spatial/deep visual proteomics platforms including CODEX and PhenoCycler and other related technologies. They will investigate the cellular and molecular drivers of immune regulation, epithelial remodeling, and tissue regeneration across health and disease states. The role also involves analyzing complex multiomic datasets using established bioinformatics pipelines, while contributing to the development of custom computational workflows as needed. The fellow will manage daily lab operations, including protocol optimization, supply ordering, and equipment maintenance, and will serve as the lab’s Chemical Hygiene Officer to ensure compliance with safety regulations and proper waste disposal. Experimental responsibilities will include both in vitro and in vivo work, such as mouse handling, tissue processing, and histological analysis. The fellow will maintain meticulous experimental records, prepare data for internal and external presentations, draft manuscripts, and support grant proposal development. Additionally, they will collaborate closely with clinical, computational, and engineering partners to integrate multi-scale data for precision diagnostics and therapeutic innovation.

The Postdoctoral Fellow will:

• Design and lead experiments applying single-cell RNA-seq, spatial transcriptomics (e.g., Xenium, MERSCOPE), and spatial proteomics (e.g., CODEX/PhenoCycler)
• Investigate the cellular and molecular determinants of immune regulation, epithelial remodeling, and tissue regeneration in health and disease
• Analyze complex multiomic datasets using existing pipelines and develop custom computational workflows where needed
• Manage day-to-day lab operations, including protocol optimization, ordering supplies, and equipment maintenance
• Serve as Chemical Hygiene Officer, ensuring adherence to safety regulations and waste disposal policies
• Perform in vitro and in vivo experiments, including human tissues and biofluids, mouse handling, tissue processing, and histological analysis
• Maintain detailed experimental records, prepare data for presentations, write manuscripts, and contribute to grant applications
• Collaborate with clinical, computational, and engineering teams to integrate multi-scale data for precision diagnostics and therapeutic development

Required Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in molecular biology, cell biology, bioengineering, immunology, systems biology, or a related field
• Demonstrated experience with single-cell RNA-seq and/or spatial omics techniques
• Strong foundation in molecular and cellular biology
• Self-motivated, detail-oriented, and able to work both independently and collaboratively
• Willingness to perform animal work and maintain compliance with IACUC and biosafety standards
• Proven scientific communication skills, including first-author publications in peer-reviewed journals
  Commitment to fostering an inclusive and diverse lab environment
• Demonstrated experience working in and fostering an environment of respect, professionalism, and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from various backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a faculty member at VCU

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior work in airway, mucosal, or epithelial tissue biology
• Experience with mouse models of inflammation, infection, or cancer
• Background in computational analysis of high-dimensional data (e.g., Seurat, Scanpy, or R/Python-based workflows)
• Familiarity with CRISPR, viral vectors, and 3D organoid or ex vivo culture systems
• Record of securing fellowships, pilot grants, or other research funding

ORP Eligible: Yes