Postdoctoral Fellow - Department of Oral & Craniofacial Molecular Biology - School of Dentistry

Unit:

School of Dentistry

Oral and Craniofacial Molecular Biology

The Philips Institute for Oral Health Research at the VCU School of Dentistry is seeking a full-time Postdoctoral Fellow to join theLab of Oral & Craniofacial Innovation (LOCI). This position isideal for a highly motivated scientist interested in applying single-cell and spatial multiomic technologies to dissect the molecular architecture of the human airway and upper aerodigestivetract. The lab focuses on understanding how multicellular systems are dysregulated in diseases such as cancer, autoimmunity, and infection—using a systems biology approach across both adult and pediatric tissues.

The postdoctoral fellow will contribute tohigh-impact, NIH-funded projects involving spatial transcriptomics,spatial proteomics, and integrative analyses of epithelial,stromal, vascular, and immune compartments across the oral cavity,nasal mucosa, and lower airways. In addition to wet lab work, the candidate will participate in developing and applying cutting-edge computational tools in collaboration with leading bioinformaticsteams. This role is central to expanding LOCI’s mission in precision medicine and spatial diagnostics and will be co-aligned with initiatives across VCU and Massey Cancer Center.

The fellow will work in a collaborative, cross-disciplinary environment andhave opportunities for leadership, mentoring, and career development, including potential independence through pilot grantsand fellowships.

The postdoctoral fellow will be responsible for designing and leading experiments involving single-cell RNA sequencing, spatialtranscriptomics technologies such as Xenium and MERSCOPE, and spatial/deep visual proteomics platforms including CODEX andPheno

Cycler and other related technologies. They will investigate the cellular and molecular drivers of immune regulation, epithelial remodeling, and tissue regeneration across health and disease states. The role also involves analyzing complex multiomic datasets using established bioinformatics pipelines, while contributing tothe development of custom computational workflows as needed. Thefellow will manage daily lab operations, including protocol optimization, supply ordering, and equipment maintenance, and willserve as the lab’s Chemical Hygiene Officer to ensure compliance with safety regulations and proper waste disposal.

Experimental responsibilities will include both in vitro and in vivo work, suchas mouse handling, tissue processing, and histological analysis.

The fellow will maintain meticulous experimental records, prepare data for internal and external presentations, draft manuscripts,and support grant proposal development. Additionally, they will collaborate closely with clinical, computational, and engineering partners to integrate multi-scale data for precision diagnostics and therapeutic innovation.

• Design and lead experiments applying single-cell RNA-seq,spatial transcriptomics (e.g., Xenium, MERSCOPE), and spatialproteomics (e.g., CODEX/Pheno Cycler).
• Investigate the cellular and molecular determinants of immune regulation, epithelial remodeling, and tissue regeneration inhealth and disease.
• Analyze complex multiomic datasets using existing pipelines and develop custom computational workflows where needed.
• Manage day-to-day lab operations, including protocol optimization, ordering supplies, and equipment maintenance.
• Serve as Chemical Hygiene Officer, ensuring adherence to safety regulations and waste disposal policies.
• Perform in vitro and in vivo experiments, including human tissues and biofluids, mouse handling, tissue processing, andhistological analysis.
• Maintain detailed experimental records, prepare data for presentations, write manuscripts, and contribute to grant applications.
• Collaborate with clinical, computational, and engineering teamsto integrate multi-scale data for precision diagnostics and therapeutic development.

• Ph.D. in molecular biology, cell biology, bioengineering,immunology, systems biology, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience with single-cell RNA-seq and/or spatialomics techniques.
• Strong foundation in molecular and…