Postdoctoral Fellow-MSH-30030-292

Department: Microbiology
Physical work location: 1468 Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10029
PI/Supervisor: Gustavo Palacios, PhD
Lab website: https://palacioslab.com/
Department website: https://icahn.mssm.edu/about/departments/microbiology
Administrative Contact: Molly Deroy, molly.deroy@mssm.edu

About the role

The Palacios Laboratory is recruiting multiple motivated Postdoctoral Fellows to join a dynamic, collaborative research team working across complementary programs in emerging-virus research, including DOORs, VITAL, and REVISE within EVOLVE. Together, these efforts seek to identify and validate critical virus-host dependencies, engineer safer and more durable immune protection, and develop precision strategies that create virus-resistant cellular states while preserving normal host biology. Projects integrate experimental virology, functional genomics, receptor and antigen engineering, immunology, multi-omics, and in vivo validation to advance broadly applicable countermeasures against persistent, respiratory, and emerging viral threats. Individual project assignments will be matched to each fellow's expertise and program needs.

Responsibilities

• Perform virological and immunological assays under BSL-2 and BSL-3 conditions, including cell-based, ex vivo, organoid, and in vivo studies with viruses relevant to pandemic preparedness, persistent infection, and emerging disease.
• Generate, analyze, and integrate multi-omics, functional-genomics, immunological, and virological datasets to connect molecular mechanisms with infection, immune protection, and host-cell fitness.
• Collaborate with computational biology teams to prioritize host dependencies, receptor variants, and immunogen designs and to support AI/ML-guided analyses.
• Work closely with teams at ISMMS and partnering institutions, coordinating experiments, sharing data, and aligning research efforts.
• Participate in cross-functional meetings to report progress, address challenges, and contribute to strategy discussions.
• Prepare and publish research findings in high-impact scientific journals. Present research at conferences and program review meetings.

Requirements

• PhD in Virology, Immunology, Microbiology, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Bioengineering, or a related field.
• Expertise in virology, with hands-on experience in viral culture, cell-based assays, and host-pathogen interaction studies.
• Experience in one or more of the following areas is preferred: functional genomics or gene editing; vaccine or antigen engineering; cellular immunology; multi-omics; organoid systems; or animal models.
• Familiarity with BSL-2 and BSL-3 laboratory practices.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work within a multidisciplinary team.

Skills

• Mammalian cell culture and viral propagation
• Viral entry, replication, neutralization, and challenge assays
• CRISPR-based gene editing and receptor/function validation
• Flow cytometry, CyTOF, and cellular immune profiling
• ELISA, ELISPOT, Western blotting, and qPCR
• Multi-omics sample preparation and data interpretation
• Mouse or other relevant preclinical model work

Pay

$72,500 - $80,000 Annually

About the employer

The Mount Sinai Health System is one of the largest academic medical systems in the New York metro area, with more than 48,000 employees working across eight hospitals, more than 400 outpatient practices, more than 300 labs, a school of nursing, and a leading school of medicine and graduate education. Mount Sinai advances health for all people, everywhere, by taking on the most complex health care challenges of our time — discovering and applying new scientific learning and knowledge; developing safer, more effective treatments; educating the next generation of medical leaders and innovators; and supporting local communities by delivering high-quality care to all who need it.

Through the integration of its hospitals, labs, and schools, Mount Sinai offers comprehensive health care solutions from birth through geriatrics, leveraging innovative approaches such as artificial intelligence and informatics while keeping patients’ medical and emotional needs at the center of all treatment. The Health System includes more than 9,000 primary and specialty care physicians; 13 joint-venture outpatient surgery centers throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida; and more than 30 affiliated community health centers.

Mount Sinai is consistently ranked by U.S. News & World Report's Best Hospitals, receiving high "Honor Roll" status, and is highly ranked in multiple specialties including Geriatrics, Cardiology/Heart Surgery, Diabetes/Endocrinology, Gastroenterology/GI Surgery, Neurology/Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Pulmonology/Lung Surgery, Rehabilitation, and Urology. New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai is ranked No. 12 in Ophthalmology. U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Children’s Hospitals” ranks Mount Sinai Kravis Children's Hospital among the country’s best in several pediatric specialties. The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is ranked No. 11 nationwide in National Institutes of Health funding and in the 99th percentile in research dollars per investigator according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. Newsweek’s “The World’s Best Smart Hospitals” ranks The Mount Sinai Hospital as No. 1 in New York and in the top five globally, and Mount Sinai Morningside in the top 20 globally.