Description

We are looking for an ambitious, creative and motivated postdoctoral fellow with expertise in cellular neuroscience, pluripotent stem cells and electrophysiology to study the neurobiological mechanisms underlying autism spectrum disorder using those iPSC models.

About the Job

Due to the complexity and heterogeneity of autism and lack of a proper human cellular model, animal models, either naturalistic, environmental, pharmacological or genetic, have traditionally been the preferred choice for investigating mechanisms underlying autism. However, these models have several conceptual and practical limitations for studying human neurodevelopment. The recent advent of patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) has allowed researchers to circumvent these obstacles and efficiently complement animal models by establishing human iPSC lines, which capture both the primary genetic lesion and the genetic background of patients and are therefore particularly useful for disorders with complex etiology, where genetic causes are usually multiple and complex. In vitro induction of iPSCs derived from patients into various neuronal and glial cell types, in monolayer cultures or in organoids, provides a powerful new tool to study the cellular and molecular causes of human disorders and test therapeutic strategies in the cell types most affected in these diseases. The Seaver Center has several ongoing programs aiming to model different complex neurogenetic disorders associated with autism including Phelan-McDermid Syndrome, FOXP1 Syndrome and ADNP Syndrome, using iPSCs.

Specific responsibilities include

• • Performing and supervising iPSC reprogramming
  • Creating genetically modified lines
  • Differentiating iPSC in different types of neuronal cells
  • Neuron phenotyping
  • RNA sequencing experiments
  • Collecting, analyzing, and reviewing experimental data for publication and presentation
  • Leading new experiments and techniques when needed
  • Supervising students and technicians in the lab
  • Perform other duties as required

About You

We are looking for an ambitious, creative and motivated individual to join the Seaver Autism Center in this role. Specific qualifications include:

• • Ph.D. or equivalent in Neuroscience, Neurobiology or a related discipline
  • Experience in cellular neuroscience, cell culture, iPSC reprogramming and differentiation, cell transfection.
  • Experience in gene expression manipulation including cell transfection, utilization of viruses, shRNAs, CRISP-Cas9 gene editing.
  • Preferred applicants will have additional experience in single cell and multi-electrode array electrophysiology.
  • Knowledge in R or other languages for statistical computing or graphics is a plus.
  • Highly motivated.
  • Strong communication and writing skills.
  • Ability to work both independently and in a multidisciplinary team-oriented environment.
  • Strong organizational skills and analytic ability.

How to Apply

Apply on the Mount Sinai Careers website (requisition number: 2428802) and e-mail a CV, a brief description of research experience and interests, and contact information for 1-3 references to: Lynn Hendrickson.