CZ Biohub NY aims to harness the natural capabilities of immune cells to detect and fix abnormalities in the body at early stages, and bioengineer immune cells to create new capabilities to detect and potentially treat events before they lead to untreatable disease. The Laboratory of Immunogenomics specifically focuses on understanding and addressing immune dysfunction in diseases like cancer, autoimmune disorders, and aging by studying the non-coding regulatory genome, with the goal of advancing enhancer-guided precision genomic medicine.
Requirements
- Expertise in immune cell biology, epigenomics, chromatin regulation, and transcriptional mechanisms.
- Demonstrated expertise in using in vivo models and/or primary cell systems to address mechanistic biological questions.
- Experience with one or more advanced genomic techniques (e.g., single-cell sequencing, nascent RNA profiling, CRISPR-based perturbations).
- Expertise in enhancer biology and non-coding genome.
- Familiarity with computational tools for genomic data analysis and integration.
- Skills in working with patient-derived samples, organoid systems, or advanced imaging platforms.
Responsibilities
- Mapping regulatory elements: Define active enhancers and other regulatory regions altered by stress, inflammation, and trauma exposures using single-cell nascent RNA sequencing (scGRO-seq), ATAC-seq, and complementary epigenomic profiling approaches.
- Profiling immune states: Characterize immune cell states and transcriptional programs associated with stress- and inflammation-induced memory through single-cell and spatial transcriptomics, complemented by functional assays of cytokine production, cytotoxicity, and antigen presentation.
- Mechanisms of immune memory: Dissect enhancer–gene networks and transcriptional machinery that encode and sustain immunosuppressive programs across lymphoid, myeloid, and stromal cell populations.
- Modeling and functional interrogation: Develop organoid–immune cell co-culture systems to model and perturb inflammation–immune interactions.
- Apply CRISPR-based functional screens to uncover transcription factors, co-factors, and chromatin remodelers regulating enhancer-driven immune memory.
- Data integration and collaboration: Partner with computational teams to integrate multi-omics datasets, leverage machine learning to identify predictive biomarkers, and connect experimental insights to patient datasets for translational impact.
Other
- A PhD in Immunology, Molecular Biology, Cancer Biology, Genomics, or a related discipline.
- Strong publication record showing ability to drive projects from conception to publication independently.
- Proven ability to work effectively in collaborative, multidisciplinary teams.
- Lead multidisciplinary collaborations, mentor junior scientists, and disseminate findings through publications, preprints, and conference presentations.
- Interest in translational research and ability to connect basic discoveries to therapeutic strategies.
