Jobs

We are seeking highly motivated candidates with interests in regenerative biology and extreme physiology to join Dr. Huang’s laboratory at UCSF (website: https://scvrb-core.ucsf.edu/~huang/lab/Research.html). The laboratory uses the heart as a model system to investigate organ development, regeneration and repair in adult zebrafish, neonatal and adult mice, with an emphasis on the pathways that regulate resident stem cell activation and mature cell dedifferentiation/proliferation, and with innovative and integrated approaches in single cell analysis, advanced imaging microscopy and genome manipulation technology (Science 2008, 2012, 2019; Circulation 2021; Science Advances 2023).

Research Directions

1. Developing novel intravital imaging in live animals and tissue clearing techniques for high-resolution visualization of cellular behavior, activity and interaction during heart development and regeneration.

2. Performing functional screens to induce adult mouse and human cardiomyocyte regeneration using both candidate gene and directed evolution approaches integrated with CRISPR/Cas9 genome manipulation technology.

3. Taking pharmacological and genetic approaches to uncover the unifying principle governing the decline of regenerative potentials in adult mammalian organs and appendages including the heart, digit/limb, skin, brain, and spinal cord.

4. Leveraging the power of phylogenetic screen to identify novel mammalian animal models with extraordinary tissue regenerative capacity.

5. Investigating human genetic mutations and underlying molecular mechanisms in rare heart diseases that may result in preservation of cardiac regenerative potential.

6. Exploring the molecular basis of extreme biology in invertebrate and vertebrate species including whales, naked mole-rats and ground squirrels.

Successful candidate will work in a highly interdisciplinary research program that interfaces developmental and stem cell biology, regenerative medicine, cardiovascular diseases, metabolism and physiology. Postdoctoral Scholars will be eligible for generous benefits including supplemented health insurance and University housing in San Francisco https://postdocs.ucsf.edu/housing-commuting.

To apply, interested candidates should submit a single PDF file including 1) a cover letter with a brief statement of research experience, interest, and career plan, 2) curriculum vitae, and 3) a list of three references to Dr. Huang (Guo.Huang[at]ucsf.edu *Please replace [at] with @ when addressing Emails).

Guo Huang, Ph.D.
Department of Physiology
Investigator of the Cardiovascular Research Institute
Investigator of the Bakar Aging Research Institute
Investigator of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research

We seek candidates with a fresh PhD degree to apply bioinformatics skills to decode tRNA modifications in cancers and in neurodegeneration diseases. This candidate should also have basic molecular biology skills and be able to use CRISPR techniques. tRNA modifications are the exciting frontier in the central dogma of genetic information transfer from DNA to RNA to protein, where tRNAs are the adaptors and the modifications in tRNAs control the adaptor activity.

Our position is NIH-funded at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, USA, which offers intellectual growth and the potential for long-term stability.

For more information, please see the following publications and our website:

Nakano, Y, Gamper, H, McGuigan, H, Maharjan, S, Sun, Z, Yigit, E, Grunberg, S, Krishnan, K, Li, NS, Piccirilli, JA, Kleiner, R, Nichols, N, Hou, YM. (2025) Genome-wide profiling of tRNA modifications by Induro-tRNAseq reveals coordinated changes. Nat Commun, PMID: 39865096; PMCID: PMC11770116; DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-56348-1.

Maharjan, S, Masuda, I, Hou, YM. (2025) Acid urea polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (AUPAGE) and Northern analysis. Bio-Protocol. https://doi.org/10.21769/p2788

Fanari, O, Tavakoli, S, Qiu, Y, Makhamreh, A, Nilan, K, Akeson, S, Meseonznik, M, McCormick, CA, Block, D, Gamper, H, Jain, M, Hou, YM, Wanunu, M, Rouhanifard, SH. (2025) Probing enzyme-dependent pseudouridylation using direct RNA sequencing to assess epitranscriptome plasticity in a neuronal cell line. Cell Systems, 2025 Mar 18:101238, doi: 10.1016/j.cels.2025.101238; PMID: 40118059; PMCID:PMC12006983

Masuda, I, McGuigan, H, Maharjan, S., Yamaki, Y, Hou, YM. (2025) Connecting tRNA charging and decoding through the axis of nucleotide modifications at position 37. J. Mol. Biol. Invited review, Mar 18: 169095, doi: 10.1016/j.jmb.2025.169095. PMID: 40113011, PMCID:PMC12162217

Szydlo, K, Santos, L, Christian, TW, Maharjan, S, Dorsey, A, Masuda, I, Jia, J, Wu, Yuan, Tan, W, Hou, YM*, Ignatova, Z*. (2025) m6A modification is incorporated randomly into bacterial mRNA without specific functional benefit. *denotes co-corresponding authors. Nucleic Acids Res, doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkaf425, PMID: 40401555; PMCID:PMC12096079

Kimbrough, EM, Nguyen, HA, Li, H, Mattingly, JM, Bailey, NA, Ning, W, Gamper, H, Hou, YM, Gonzalez, RL, Dunham, CM. (2025) An RNA modification prevents extended codon-anticodon interaction from facilitating +1 frameshifting. Nat Commun, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-62342-4, PMID: 40789848, PMCID:PMC12340085

Swirski, MI, Tierney, JAS, Alba, MM, Andreev, DE, Aspden, JL, Atkins, JF, Bassani-Sternberg, M, Berry, JJ, Biffo, S., Boris-Lawrie, K, Borodovsky, M, Brierley, I, Brook, M, Brunet, MA, Bujnicki, JM, Caliskan, N, Calviello, L, Carvunis, AR, Cate, JHD, Cenik, C, Chang, KY, Chen, Y, Chothani, S, Choudhary, JS, Clark, PL. Clauwaert, J, Cooley, L, Dassi, E, Dean, K, Dieterich, C, Dikstein, R, Dinman, JD, Dmitriev, SE, Dontsova, OA, Dunham,CM, Eswarapa, SM, Farabaugh, PJ, Faridi, P, Fierro-Monti, I, Firth, AE, Gatfield, D, Gebauer, F, Gelfand, MS, Gray, NK, Green, R, Hill, CH, Hou, YM, Hubner, N, et al., and Baranov, PV. (2025) Translon: a single term for translated regions. Nature Methods, PMID: 40890551, doi: 10.1038/s41592-025-02810-3.

Wang, B, Hoffman, RD, Hou, YM, Li, H. (2025) Structural basis for retron co-option of anti-phage ATPase-nuclease. Nat Struc Mol Biol, PMID: 41174277, doi: 10.1038/s41594-025-01702-6

Email: ya-ming.hou[at]jefferson.edu *Please replace [at] with @ when addressing Emails
Website: https://research.jefferson.edu/labs/researcher/hou-laboratory.html

Please send a cover letter, CV, and contact information of three references to:

Ya-Ming Hou
Professor of Biochemistry and Mol Biology
Email:ya-ming.hou[at]jefferson.edu *Please replace [at] with @ when addressing Emails
Thomas Jefferson University, 233 S. 10th Street, BLSB 220
Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA