Post Doctoral Fellow - Department of Microbiology & Immunology - Lab of Dr. Igyarto

Thomas Jefferson University’s Igyártó laboratory, supported by NIH and the LEO Foundation, is seeking well-trained, highly motivated postdoctoral fellows with a Ph.D. in immunology or a related field. Ideal candidates will drive projects with minimal oversight and have experience in mouse models, mouse and human dendritic cells (DCs), flow cytometry, histology, imaging, and molecular/omics approaches (RNA-seq, ATAC-seq, ChIP-seq, microarray, CRISPR-Cas9, etc.).

About the Role

Fellows will contribute to cutting-edge research projects with opportunities to explore disease mechanisms, vaccine design, and novel immunological pathways. The lab fosters an environment of scientific independence and collaboration, allowing fellows to connect their work to broader immunological questions.

Projects

• Regulation of humoral immune responses by distinct DC subsets – toward DC-tailored vaccines: This project challenges the textbook model by demonstrating that specific DC subsets can elicit protective antibody responses even without inflammation or canonical cytokines. Fellows will define how DCs support "steady-state" humoral immunity to inform adjuvant-free vaccine design and explore applications in autoimmune diseases like lupus and pemphigus.
• Intracellular monitoring and surveillance by DCs: A newly discovered mechanism reveals that DCs actively siphon specific RNAs from neighboring cells, reshaping immunity in areas such as tolerance induction, pathogen response, tumor immunology, metabolism, and transplantation. Fellows will help define this new chapter in immunology by linking the pathway to their disease or mechanistic interests.
• Trained immunity induced by mRNA-LNP vaccination and its transgenerational inheritance: This project investigates how mRNA-lipid nanoparticle (LNP) formulations induce long-lasting functional changes in innate immune cells, consistent with trained immunity. Fellows will dissect molecular and epigenetic mechanisms, assess impacts on infections and vaccinations, and test transgenerational inheritance using in vivo models, innate immune profiling, and multi-omics approaches.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in immunology or a related field.
• Experience with mouse models, dendritic cells (mouse and human), flow cytometry, histology, imaging, and molecular/omics techniques (e.g., RNA-seq, ATAC-seq, ChIP-seq, microarray, CRISPR-Cas9).
• Highly motivated, independent, and capable of driving projects with minimal oversight.

Benefits

Jefferson offers a comprehensive benefits package for full-time and part-time colleagues, including:

• Medical (including prescription), dental, and vision insurance.
• Supplemental insurance (life, AD&D, short- and long-term disability).
• Flexible spending accounts and retirement plans.
• Tuition assistance and discounts at Thomas Jefferson University after one year of full-time service or two years of part-time service.
• Voluntary benefits, including group insurance rates and discounts.

All colleagues, including those working less than part-time (e.g., per diem, adjunct faculty, Jeff Temps), have access to medical and prescription insurance.

Location

951 Locust Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America.