Postdoctoral Positions - Lawson Lab, University of Massachusetts Medical School

Postdoctoral positions in vascular development using zebrafish as a model system.

Postdoctoral positions are available in the Lawson Lab at the University of Massachusetts Medical School to study the molecular and cellular mechanisms of vascular development using the zebrafish as a model system. We are interested in multiple aspects of endothelial cell biology in the context of vascular development, with an emphasis on the following questions:     

What determines an endothelial cell’s response to receptor tyrosine kinase activation?  How do adjacent cells coordinate distinct outputs or behaviors during morphogenesis?

What controls endothelial cell identity?  How does identity contribute to vascular morphogenesis? 

How does circulatory flow control endothelial gene expression?  How do these responses modulate endothelial behaviors?  

What controls periendothelial cell differentiation (e.g. pericytes, smooth muscle cells, astrocytes)?  What governs cross-talk between endothelial and periendothelial cells?

We take full advantage of the benefits of the zebrafish including the application of in vivo imaging by 2-photon microscopy, genetic manipulation through the use of programmable nucleases, and development of transgenic sensor lines for visualizing signaling outputs. For examples see the following:

Nature (2007) 445:781-784. 
Nature Biotechnology (2008) 26:695-701. 
Genes and Development (2009) 23:2272-7. 
Nature (2010) 464:1196-200.  
Dev. Biol (2010) 357:450-462. 
Development (2011) 138:4555-4564. 
Developmental Cell (2012) 22:418-429. 
Development (2014) 141:1544-1552.

Applicants must be highly motivated and technically accomplished as documented by exceptional publication record.  Ideal candidates will have demonstrated experience in standard and advanced molecular biology approaches.  Experience with model organisms is beneficial, but not required.  Candidates with bioinformatics experience together with wet bench skills would be ideal. 

Please send or email CV and reprints of relevant publications to the contact information below.  Applicants accepted for initial consideration will be subsequently contacted for letters of reference.

Nathan D. Lawson, PhD
Professor
Program in Gene Function and Expression
University of Massachusetts Medical School
Lazare Research Building, Room 617
364 Plantation Street
Worcester, MA 01605
e-mail: nathan.lawson@umassmed.edu
web site: http://lawsonlab.umassmed.edu