Postdoctoral Fellow in Experimental Functional Genomics and Molecular Genetics

Postdoctoral Fellow in Experimental Functional Genomics and Molecular Genetics

Postdoctoral Fellow

IUSM - Medical & Molecular Genetics

IU School of Medicine Indianapolis

Postdoctoral Fellow in Experimental Functional Genomics and Molecular Genetics

The Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics at Indiana University School of Medicine is seeking a highly motivated and creative Postdoctoral Fellow in Experimental Functional Genomics and Molecular Genetics to join the Azaiez-Booth Laboratory in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Our laboratory studies how genetic variation causes human disease and develops experimental approaches to move from genetic discovery to biological mechanism. Research in the laboratory sits at the intersection of human genetics, molecular genetics, functional genomics, and precision genomic medicine, with particular interests in genetic hearing loss, RNA biology, variant interpretation, and the development of scalable functional assays.

The successful candidate will take a leading role in our experimental functional genomics program, with opportunities to develop both high-throughput and gene-specific approaches for determining the functional consequences of human genetic variation. Current and developing projects include massively parallel splicing assays, functional characterization of coding and noncoding variants, development of new experimental strategies for genes that are poorly suited to existing assays, and mechanistic follow‑up of candidate variants and genes emerging from human genomic studies.

A major emphasis of this position is experimental problem solving and assay development. We are particularly interested in candidates with strong hands-on molecular biology skills who enjoy designing experiments, troubleshooting technically challenging systems, and developing new approaches. Expertise in one specific technology is less important than a strong experimental foundation and the ability to take a biological question from initial hypothesis through assay development, data generation, interpretation, and publication.

Research Opportunities

• Development and implementation of high-throughput functional genomics assays.
• Experimental characterization of variants affecting RNA splicing, gene expression, or protein function.
• Massively parallel and sequencing-based functional assays.
• Development of gene-specific assays for variants that cannot be adequately evaluated using existing platforms.
• Molecular cloning, genome editing, cell-based functional studies, and quantitative molecular assays.
• Integration of functional data with human genetic and clinical observations.
• Mechanistic follow-up of genes and variants identified through human genomic studies.
• Development of new experimental platforms that can be expanded into independent research directions.

The fellow will be encouraged to develop scientific questions that complement the laboratory’s broader research program while establishing an increasingly independent area of expertise.

Training and Career Development

The Azaiez-Booth Laboratory is committed to helping postdoctoral fellows develop the scientific independence necessary for their next career stage. Fellows will receive mentorship in experimental design, manuscript preparation, scientific communication, grant and fellowship writing, mentoring junior trainees, and development of an independent research program.

Postdoctoral fellows will be expected to lead research projects, contribute substantially to manuscripts and collaborative studies, present their work at scientific meetings, and participate in the preparation of fellowship and research grant applications. Fellows will also have opportunities to collaborate with…