Postdoctoral Fellow in Senescence, Aging and Inflammation

Postdoctoral Fellow in Senescence, Aging and Inflammation

Location:

University of Pennsylvania - Penn Dental Medicine

Open Date:
Sep 18, 2026

A postdoctoral position is available in the laboratory of Dr. DanaT. Graves at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, Department of Periodontics. The fellow will investigatemechanisms by which cellular senescence and inflammation intersectto alter age-associated pathogenesis. The position integratesexperimental biology with single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq),10x Genomics Xenium spatial transcriptomics, quantitative imaging,and molecular and cellular validation to define disease-associatedcell states, inflammatory signaling networks, and potentialtherapeutic targets.

The research program will examine how senescent cell states andinflammatory signals influence pathology that enhances aging-linkedpathology using a periodontal mouse model and human tissuevalidation. The fellow will participate in in vivo studies and analyses of scRNA-seq and 10x Genomics Xenium datasets to identifysenescence-associated and inflammation-associated cell states,transcriptional programs, cell-cell communication networks,spatially organized cellular responses and mechanisms that lead togreater bone resorption. The analyses may include pathway analysis,trajectory and pseudo time analysis, regulatory-network inference,and ligand-receptor analysis.

Experimental studies of aging andsenescence will include genetically engineered mouse models,primary mouse and human cell cultures, molecular perturbationstudies, histology, immunofluorescence, flow cytometry,quantitative image analysis, and other approaches used to validatecomputational findings and define mechanisms linking aging,senescence and inflammation with altered tissue function.

• Investigate molecular and cellular mechanisms linking senescenceand inflammation to tissue dysfunction, repair, and regenerationusing in vivo mouse models.
• Lead or contribute substantially to bioinformatic analyses ofscRNA-seq and 10x Genomics Xenium spatial transcriptomicdatasets.
• Develop and execute rigorous experimental approaches using invivo, ex vivo, and/or in vitro models as appropriate to the project.
• Perform quality control, data integration, cell annotation,differential expression, pathway, trajectory, state-transition, andligand-receptor analyses.
• Integrate transcriptomic findings with imaging, histologic,cellular, and phenotypic measurements.
• Use immunofluorescence and quantitative image analysis to characterize cellular localization, spatial distribution, andtissue organization.
• Develop rigorous, reproducible experimental and computationalworkflows.
• Interpret findings in biological and disease contexts and contribute to analytical and experimental strategy.
• Generate clear figures, present findings, and communicate effectively with computational and experimentalcollaborators.
• Prepare first-author manuscripts and contribute to grant development and collaborative studies.

For single-cell and spatial genomics studies, the primarycomputational environment uses R, Seurat, and related tools, withother validated methods used when they improve analytical rigor or biological interpretation. Quantitative imaging and spatial-analysis tools will be selected based on the specimens,imaging modalities, and scientific questions. Candidates with strong experimental backgrounds will have opportunities to developadditional expertise in computational analysis, while candidates with strong computational backgrounds will have opportunities togain experience with biological validation and experimentalsystems.

The Graves laboratory integrates computational discovery with invivo models, human specimens, histology, flow cytometry,immunofluorescence, primary cell culture, molecular perturbationstudies, and quantitative analysis. The fellow will havesubstantial intellectual ownership of their project, including development of experimental directions, selection of analyticalapproaches, interpretation and presentation of findings,preparation of first-author manuscripts, and participation in grant writing. Development of independent fellowship applications is encouraged.

Dr. Graves will provide direct scientific mentoring and regularproject guidance. The fellow will collaborate with investigator sand shared-resource specialists across the University of Pennsylvania. Penn…