Postdoctoral Associate | Ucar Lab

** Postdoctoral Associate | Immunology
**** Ucar Lab | Farmington, CT
** This position focuses on functional human immunology research under the supervision Dr. Duygu Ucar. The postdoctoral associate will design and execute experiments to dissect mechanisms of immune activation, regulation, and aging in human peripheral blood d immune cells. The role involves isolating and functionally characterizing PBMCs, performing multi-parameter flow cytometry, cytokine assays, and ex vivo stimulation experiments to investigate immune responses to infection, vaccination, and inflammation.

The researcher will integrate functional assays with single-cell and genomic datasets, publish in peer-reviewed journals, and contribute to ongoing NIH- and foundation-funded projects on immune aging, vaccine responses, and host–pathogen interactions.

Key Responsibilities (What you contribute) :
* Design and conduct experiments using
** primary human immune cells
** to assess cellular function, activation, and cytokine responses (e.g., ELISA, ELISpot, multiplex cytokine assays).
* Perform
** PBMC isolation, flow cytometry panel design and analysis**, and functional assays (e.g., proliferation, cytotoxicity, and co-culture systems).
* Apply
** systems immunology approaches
** by integrating functional data with transcriptomic, epigenetic, or proteomic analyses.
* Develop and optimize experimental protocols for
** innate and adaptive immune assays**, including T cell, B cell, NK cell, and myeloid populations.
* Contribute to
** grant applications, manuscripts, and conference presentations**, highlighting translational relevance of findings.
* Collaborate closely with computational biologists to interpret large-scale immune datasets and identify mechanistic insights.
* Provide technical guidance and mentorship to trainees and maintain rigorous documentation of experimental procedures and results.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (What you're good at)
* Ph.D. in Immunology, Cell Biology, or a related field.
* Demonstrated experience with
** multi-color flow cytometry, PBMC isolation, immune stimulation assays**, and quantitative data analysis.
* Strong background in
** human immunology**, including T and B cell biology, cytokine signaling, and innate–adaptive interactions.
* Familiarity with integrating
** functional and omics datasets** (e.g., scRNA-seq, CITE-seq, or ATAC-seq) is an asset.

Year 0 - 1: $65,589

Year 1 - 2: $67,318

Year 2 - 3: $69,095

Year 3 - 4: $70,521

Year 4 - 5: $72,877

Year 5 - 6: $75,569

Based on years of experience as Postdoc
** About JAX:
** The Jackson Laboratory is an independent, nonprofit biomedical research institution with a National Cancer Institute-designated Cancer Center and nearly 3,000 employees in locations across the United States (Maine, Connecticut, California), Japan and China. Its mission is to discover precise genomic solutions for disease and empower the global biomedical community in the shared quest to improve human health.

Founded in 1929, JAX applies over nine decades of expertise in genetics to increase understanding of human disease, advancing treatments and cures for cancer, neurological and immune disorders, diabetes, aging and heart disease. It models and interprets genomic complexity, integrates basic research with clinical application, educates current and future scientists, and provides critical data, tools and services to the global biomedical community.

For more information, please visit.
** EEO Statement:
*** The Jackson Laboratory provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment in all job classifications without regard to race, color, religion, age, mental disability, physical disability, medical condition, gender, sexual orientation, genetic information, ancestry, marital status, national origin, veteran status, and other classifications protected by applicable state and local non-discrimination laws.
*** Bar Harbor:
** The Jackson Laboratory's 43-acre scenic Bar Harbor campus is nestled between the Gulf of Maine and the mountains of Acadia National Park. Some of the best hiking and biking in the world (over 50 square miles of mountains, lakes, views, and dramatic coastline) is accessible from our campus. We are one mile from downtown Bar Harbor, which offers a vibrant downtown district with a plethora of restaurants, shops, museums, and galleries.
** Ellsworth:
** The Charles

E. Hewett Center in Ellsworth, Maine, is a state-of-the-art facility that serves researchers world wide. The facility represents the culmination of nine decades of unmatched experience and leadership in breeding and caring for laboratory mice.

Ellsworth, Maine, is one of Maine’s fastest growing cities. With a growth rate of nearly 20%, Ellsworth is a bustling year-round community and acts as a hub for surrounding towns. It is located nearby Acadia National Park and hosts numerous special events, concerts and festivals each year. Residents have access to fabulous shopping, recreation, museums,…