Postdoctoral Fellow - Diabetes Research

About the role

Join the forefront of groundbreaking research at the Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, where we're changing lives and making a real difference in the fight against cancer, diabetes, and other life-threatening illnesses. A Postdoctoral Fellow position is available in the laboratory of Dr. Sangeeta Dhawan at the Arthur Riggs Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute. Dr. Dhawan leads an NIH-funded research program at the intersection of epigenetics, developmental programming, and diabetes pathobiology. Her laboratory is uncovering how the molecular programs that establish pancreatic beta-cell identity also determine lifelong resilience or vulnerability to disease.

Current projects investigate how disrupted DNA methylation and chromatin regulation can drive genomic instability, senescence, and beta-cell vulnerability in diabetes. A major focus is understanding how beta-cell intrinsic changes can influence their immunogenicity in type 1 diabetes and identifying mechanisms that can be targeted to preserve functional beta-cell mass and prevent disease progression. The lab integrates innovative genetic mouse models, human islets and pancreas slices, advanced imaging, and epigenomic, single-cell, and spatial biology approaches to uncover fundamental mechanisms of islet development and disease.

Responsibilities

• Conduct research on NIH-funded and other supported projects defining how developmental epigenetic programs regulate beta-cell genomic stability, stress resilience, and immune visibility, and how their disruption contributes to diabetes susceptibility and pathogenesis.
• Work within a highly collaborative, multidisciplinary environment while developing new research questions and directions.
• Perform studies using primary human and mouse islets and pancreas tissue, cell-culture based systems, genetic mouse models, and disease models, with molecular biology, single-cell, spatial, imaging, and epigenomic technologies.
• Design hypothesis-driven studies, independently plan and execute experiments, analyze data, and interpret findings.
• Communicate research findings through presentations at national and international meetings and publications in high-impact, peer-reviewed journals.
• Develop an independent scientific vision and individualized career-development plan.
• Receive extensive mentorship in manuscript preparation, fellowship and grant writing, and the transition toward research independence.
• Contribute to mentoring and training junior researchers, students, and interns.

Requirements

• PhD in Molecular, Cellular, or Developmental Biology.
• Strong interest in diabetes research.
• Extensive experience with basic molecular biology skills.
• Extensive experience in handling animal models.
• Experience with tissue collection, histology, immunohistochemistry, and cell sorting.
• Experience with cell culture, immunofluorescence, and flow cytometry.
• Experience with epigenetic and single cell methods preferred.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Evidence of productivity reflected in first author publications in peer-reviewed journals.
• Willingness to apply for fellowships and training grants.
• Willingness to learn and establish new methodology.

Pay

City of Hope employees pay is based on the following criteria: work experience, qualifications, and work location.