Post-Doctoral Fellow

Post-Doctoral Fellow

The Van Rechem Lab is seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral fellow to join our team. Our long-term research interest is to understand how chromatin modifiers contribute to disease development and progression in order to uncover more effective therapeutic opportunities. We focus particularly on brain cancers, including pediatric diffuse midline glioma (DMG) and rhabdoid tumors, and investigate how epigenetic dysregulation drives tumor biology.

Our laboratory investigates the direct molecular impact of chromatin modifiers during cell cycle progression and explores both canonical nuclear functions and unappreciated cytoplasmic roles, including the regulation of translation. We aim to define how chromatin state influences replication dynamics, genome stability, and cellular fitness in both normal and pathological contexts. By integrating mechanistic chromatin biology with disease-focused models of brain cancer, we seek to identify new biomarkers and targeted therapeutic strategies.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead an independent research project aligned with the laboratory's focus on chromatin regulation and brain cancer biology.
• Developing mechanistic hypotheses, designing and executing experiments using molecular, genomic, and cell-cycle–resolved approaches, integrating multi-omics datasets, and driving the project from conception to publication.
• Analyze and interpret complex datasets, prepare manuscripts, present findings at national and international conferences.
• Investigate the direct molecular impact of chromatin modifiers during cell cycle progression and explore both canonical nuclear functions and unappreciated cytoplasmic roles, including the regulation of translation.
• Apply for competitive fellowships and career development awards.

Work Location:

Onsite – this role is expected to work onsite and is located in Aurora, Colorado.

Why Join Us:

The Department of Neurosurgery is a highly collaborative unit, with faculty excelling in clinical care, research, education and innovation, working together to advance the fields of neuro-oncology and neuromodulation. The crosstalk between the clinical and basic research allows the scientists to work on projects with high translational potential. Access to state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, as well as shared Core Facilities across the CU Anschutz Medical Campus enable performance of cutting-edge science.

The Department's strong commitment to education provides multiple opportunities for career and skill development for staff, residents and fellows. The interdisciplinary collaborations fostered within the Cancer Center and across the broad community of University of Colorado provide a vibrant environment to train in neuro-oncology and neuroscience.

The Van Rechem Lab operates within a vibrant, interdisciplinary research environment. We are committed to fostering a rigorous, inclusive, and supportive lab culture with strong emphasis on individualized mentorship and career development across academic and industry pathways. This position offers a competitive salary and the opportunity to contribute to impactful research at the forefront of chromatin biology and brain cancer therapeutics.

Why work for the University? The University of Colorado offers a comprehensive benefits package. To see what benefits are available for Post-Doctoral Fellows, please visit:

Payroll & Benefits Orientation for Post-Doctoral Fellows | University of Colorado (cu.edu)

benefits guide cover-post-doc-2024 (cu.edu)

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:

Applicants must meet minimum qualifications at the time of hire. Graduation from an accredited college or university with a PhD/MD in one of these fields of Neuroscience, Biology, or a related field

Preferred Qualifications:

Experience with chromatin profiling approaches (e.g., ChIP-seq, CUT&RUN, CUT&Tag) and/or replication timing or R-loop mapping assays

Background in chromatin biology, cancer biology, DNA replication, genome instability, or translational control

Experience with next-generation sequencing–based methods and multi-omics data integration

Proficiency in genome engineering techniques (e.g., CRISPR/Cas systems)

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