About the role
Job Description
The Liya Pi’s Laboratory is seeking a highly motivated and talented
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
to join our team. Our research investigates the cellular and molecular mechanisms driving hepatic inflammation and liver fibrosis in chronic liver disease progression. Specifically, this project focuses on how the
gut-liver axis
interacts with dietary insults (such as chronic alcohol consumption, high-fat diets, and metabolic stressors) to trigger
hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation
and
immune microenvironment remodeling.
The successful candidate will lead projects exploring how microbial translocation and metabolic dysregulation impair anti-tumor immunity, promote a pro-fibrotic niche, and accelerate transition into
hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
This role offers an exceptional opportunity to utilize advanced in vivo models and cutting-edge translational techniques in a highly collaborative research environment.
Responsibilities
- Design and execute in vivo mouse models of chronic liver disease, including dietary, alcoholic, and tumor-induction models (e.g., Lieber-DeCarli, NASH/MASH, and HCC models).
- Isolate and immunophenotype primary liver cells (Kupffer cells, HSCs, NK cells, and T-cells).
- Perform multi-color flow cytometry, single-cell RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, and advanced imaging to profile the immune microenvironment.
- Investigate gut barrier function and microbial ecology using multi-omics approaches.
- Analyze data, draft high-impact manuscripts, and present research at national and international conferences.
- Assist in mentoring graduate and undergraduate students within the laboratory.
Qualifications
- Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. in Immunology, Molecular Biology, Gastroenterology/Hepatology, or a closely related biomedical field.
- Extensive, hands-on experience handling mice and executing in vivo disease models.
- Proficient in standard wet-lab immunology techniques (flow cytometry, cell culture, Western blot, qPCR, IHC).
- Strong track record of productivity, evidenced by first-author publications in peer-reviewed journals.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
- Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team.
About Us
Tulane University is an equal opportunity educator and employer committed to providing an education and employment environment free of unlawful discrimination, harassment, and retaliation. Legally protected demographic classifications (such as a person’s race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, shared ancestry, disability, genetics, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws) are not relied upon as an eligibility, selection or participation criteria for Tulane’s employment or educational programs or activities.
Tulane University is responsible for providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities throughout the applicant screening process. If you need assistance in completing an application or during any phase of the interview process, please contact the Office of Human Resources by phone at 504-865-4748 or by email at hr@tulane.edu.
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