Post-Doctoral Research Fellow

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center is an independent, nonprofit organization providing adult cancer treatment and groundbreaking research focused on cancer and infectious diseases. Based in Seattle, Fred Hutch is the only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center in Washington.

With a track record of global leadership in bone marrow transplantation, HIV/AIDS prevention, immunotherapy and COVID-19 vaccines, Fred Hutch has earned a reputation as one of the world’s leading cancer, infectious disease and biomedical research centers. Fred Hutch operates eight clinical care sites that provide medical oncology, infusion, radiation, proton therapy and related services, and network affiliations with hospitals in five states.

Together, our fully integrated research and clinical care teams seek to discover new cures to the world’s deadliest diseases and make life beyond cancer a reality.

At Fred Hutch we value collaboration, compassion, determination, excellence, innovation, integrity and respect. Our mission is directly tied to the humanity, dignity and inherent value of each employee, patient, community member and supporter. Our commitment to learning across our differences and similarities make us stronger. We seek employees who bring different and innovative ways of seeing the world and solving problems.

The Talbot Lab, within the Basic Sciences Division at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, is recruiting a highly motivated Post Doctoral Research Fellow, trained as a neuroscientist or a physiologist, to lead cutting-edge studies to understand the neural basis of intestinal regulation of secretion, immunity, and metabolism.

The Talbot lab studies the gut-brain axis, and how gut neurons sense diet and microbes, regulating immunity, metabolism, and nutrition. For that, we use mouse models, intravital and explant calcium imaging, genetically encoded calcium reporters, quantitative measurements of intestinal physiology, molecular immunology, viral-assisted neural circuit tracing, optogenetics and chemo genetics, CRISPR-Cas9 genetic alterations, single-cell genomics, and diet engineering. One objective of our studies is to develop dietary strategies that use the modulation of gut neurons to combat gastrointestinal-associated diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, gut infections, malabsorption conditions, and metabolic disturbances.

This research offers the opportunity to study the intersection of different areas including neurobiology, physiology, immunology, host-microbiota interactions, nutrition, and gastroenterology.

More information:

The successful candidate will have the ability to work both independently and in a highly collaborative environment.

The fellow will be responsible for developing and executing a project related to the interests of the lab. Namely, investigating the role of neural circuits in intestinal homeostasis using a mouse model system. Potential research topics include to investigate:

• The mechanisms by which dietary components are sensed by gut neurons that regulate intestinal immunity and nutrient absorption.
• The neural control of intestinal secretion and fluid and electrolyte transport.
• The molecular mechanisms of plasticity in the enteric nervous system, and its functional consequences.
• Discrimination of commensals and pathogens by gut neuronal circuits.
• Immune modulation by gut neurons.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Ph.D. in neuroscience, physiology, or related areas, and extensive (demonstrated) experience in:
• Mouse modeling and work in neuroscience or physiology, including knowledge of mouse neuroanatomy, surgical and dissection procedures, and animal genetics.
• Mouse survival surgery and stereotaxic or viral injections, including viral-assisted circuit tracing.
• Measuring neuronal activity, preferably by imaging with genetically encoded calcium indicators in tissue explants or in vivo.
• Quantitative analysis of imaging data, including motion correction, ROI segmentation, and extraction and interpretation of activity traces.
• Systems and circuit neuroscience, or organ-level physiology.
• Able to use computers, computer-interfaced equipment, robotics, or high-technology applications to perform work duties, as well as equipment that requires setup, calibration, maintenance, and troubleshooting.
• Creativity and strong analytical and interpersonal skills are required.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Familiar with optogenetics, chemo genetics, or in vivo recording.
• Experience in whole-mount tissue anatomy,…