美国约翰霍普金斯大学医学院心脏再生与传导系统博士后

美国约翰霍普金斯大学医学院心脏再生与传导系统博士后

The Blalock-Taussig-Thomas Pediatric and Congenital Heart Center at The Johns Hopkins University is seeking motivated and talented candidates for an NIH-funded postdoctoral fellowship position in the laboratory of Dr. Hee Cheol Cho. The successful candidate will take advantage of cutting-edge bioengineering tools so as to understand the mechanisms of and develop treatments for cardiac conduction system diseases. This opportunity is for those who seek independent research career, not for a clinical track. Throughout the fellowship period, career development steps will be presented with the goal of promoting meritorious fellows toward independent research faculty positions. The successful candidate will be mentored by Dr. Cho, the Director of Research at the Heart Center (heecheol.cho@jhu.edu). The available projects are as follows:

Project 1. Cardiac lineage-specific patterning of human pluripotent stem cells. The objectives of this project are to understand the mechanisms of cardiac chamber-specific differentiation of human ES/iPS cells. The emphasis is on dissecting electrophysiological properties of the de novo cardiac myocytes in vitro and upon transplantation in vivo. Candidates are expected to have prior knowledge and experience in human ESC/iPSC biology and cardiac differentiation. The candidate will gain direct access to engage in translational projects toward cell-based therapies for heart rhythm-associated diseases.

Project 2. Somatic cell reprogramming toward bioengineered cardiac pacemaker organoids. The objectives of this project are to understand the cellular events that take place during nodal cell reprogramming, and to develop strategies to bioengineer cardiac pacemaker tissue constructs. The emphasis is on characterizing the electrophysiological properties of the cell/tissue constructs in vitro, in whole-heart and in vivo. Candidates are expected to have prior knowledge and experience in cardiac electrophysiology. The candidate will gain opportunities to advance this project to proof-of-concept studies in clinically-relevant models of cardiac arrhythmias in small and large animals.

Qualifications

A recent PhD graduate with no more than three years of postdoc research experience. MD candidates will be considered only if the candidate has significant basic and fundamental research experience. Candidates with the following expertise will be preferred: single cell biology, cardiac development, cardiac electrophysiology, gene therapy and genetic engineering in cardiac tissues, cardiac differentiation of human iPSCs, animal models of heart disease. Excellent communication skills are required.