Academics & Research

Immunology, Inflammation, & Infectious Disease (3i) Initiative

Available Postdoctoral Positions

The 3i Initiative has many opportunities for Postdoctoral Fellowships. For questions about any of the positions listed below, please email the contact in the posting. 

The following positions are currently available:

Postdoctoral Position in Stem Cells and Immunology (Tantin Laboratory)

Up to two full-time postdoctoral fellowship positions are available (open until filled) at the University of Utah School of Medicine and Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City, UT, to investigate gene regulatory circuitries underlying adaptive immunity. Talented and motivated candidates with a track record of success in gene regulation and immunology will be considered. Experience with basic molecular biological methods and cell culture is required. Experience with mouse models and bioinformatic analysis is ideal. Candidates must have PhD or equivalent training. The successful candidate will be able to work independently as well as in a collaborative setting. Starting salaries will be based on the NIH postdoc scale. Send cover letter, current CV and contact information for three potential references to Dr. Dean Tantin, dean.tantin@path.utah.edu. Be sure to include “PD position 1” in the subject line.

The Tantin laboratory is committed to creating an inclusive work environment. All qualified individuals, including minorities, women, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply.

Postdoctoral Fellow Position in Tumor Immunology (Division of Gastroenterology)

The Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Gastroenterology is seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Fellow to study novel immunotherapy approaches for gastrointestinal cancers.  This person will test novel combined therapy approaches in established animal models and establish in vitro mechanistic approaches to examine immune cell phenotypes and function.  Experience with mouse work, flow cytometry, and immune cell assays is preferable. 

The candidate will receive training and mentorship for career development and work with a multidisciplinary team to develop new skills and translational approaches to tumor immunology.  Applicants must have obtained a PhD in cancer biology, immunology, or a related field within the past three years.  Strong oral and written English skills are required.  The successful candidate should have independent research skills and a track record of success in the laboratory.

Interested applicants please submit a CV and contact information for 3 references to ellen.beswick@hsc.utah.edu

Postdoctoral Researcher Position in Pharmacology & Toxicology (Venosa Laboratory) 

The Venosa Laboratory is seeking a highly motivated postdoc to join our NIEHS funded laboratory’s efforts to understand the epithelial-immune crosstalk in air pollution exposure. Our goal is to investigate the impact of ozone and particulate on the activation of resident alveolar macrophages and the recruitment of peripheral populations, among which eosinophils, B cells, NK cells; we further aim to expand this work to include susceptibility factors including sex differences, aging, preexisting conditions (fibrosis) and genetic mutations. The postdoc will have the opportunity to work in a multi-disciplinary environment in close collaboration with pulmonary and geriatrics physicians, exposure scientists, and molecular and systems biologists at the University of Utah. 

Initial work will ask for mapping cell types involved injury complemented with a focus on site-specific cell-cell interactions, their response to environmental cues, and their role in pulmonary disease pathogenesis. We aim to evaluate the function of different cell types using state-of-the-art, high-throughput single cell epigenomic and transcriptomic techniques. Flexibility on the specific project to be developed will be based on individual expertise and scientific interest. 

Please email alessandro.venosa@pharm.utah.edu with subject line “Pharmacology and Toxicology Postdoctoral Position”. Application should be accompanied by a brief statement regarding research interests, CV, and a list of two references with their email addresses. 

Postdoctoral Fellowship in Immunology of Gut Infections (Leung Lab)

The Leung lab (www.globalguthealth.org) in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Utah is seeking a postdoctoral fellow to work on translational immunology of gastrointestinal infections. Projects will utilize immunologic, genomic, microbiologic and epidemiologic methods to study human immune responses to enteric pathogens causing diarrheal illness, with a focus on V. cholerae. This position will involve international travel to work in collaboration with scientists in lower- and middle-income countries in Africa and Asia.

The successful candidate should have a doctorate in microbiology, immunology, or epidemiology. Experience in bioinformatics would be beneficial, though not essential. Candidates must have a PhD and possess excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Interested applicants should send a personal statement, CV, and names of 3 references to: Daniel.Leung@utah.edu. 

Postdoctoral Fellowship in Epidemiology and Clinical Prediction (Leung Lab)

The Leung lab (www.globalguthealth.org) in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Utah is seeking a postdoctoral fellow to work on clinical and epidemiological projects relating to diarrheal diseases. This position will include research on: 1) biomarker and clinical prediction for childhood infections, and 2) sero-epidemiology of diarrheal pathogens, and may involve international travel to work in collaboration with scientists in lower- and middle-income countries in Africa and Asia. Many opportunities for collaborations, and a mentorship team with clinical, epidemiological, machine learning, and statistical expertise. Funded by NIH/NIAID (R01AI135114, R01AI135115).

The successful candidate should have a doctorate in statistics, epidemiology, or a related field. Experience in bioinformatics would be beneficial, though not essential. Candidates must possess excellent verbal and written communication skills.

Interested applicants should send a personal statement, CV, and names of 3 references to: Daniel.Leung@utah.edu.

Postdoctoral Fellowships in Medicinal Chemistry 

Seeking postdoctoral fellows in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Utah. Candidates with a strong background in chemistry and experience in all or some of the following techniques are preferred: organic synthesis, peptide synthesis, protein expression and purification, molecular cloning, enzymology, biochemical assays, tissue culture, light and fluorescence microscopy. For more information, contact Prof. Eric Schmidt (ews1@utah.edu). 

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Small Cell Lung Cancer (Oliver Lab)

The Oliver Lab is seeking a postdoctoral candidate or senior scientist interested in small cell lung cancer.  The Oliver lab studies initiation, progression and therapeutic vulnerabilities in small cell lung cancer. We have exciting projects related to tumor metabolism, cell fate plasticity, and tumor immunology.  Please contact Trudy.Oliver@hci.utah.edu with a CV and cover letter.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Tumor Immunology (Oliver Lab)

The Oliver Lab is seeking a postdoctoral candidate or senior scientist interested in tumor immunology.  We have recently developed a novel mouse model of squamous lung cancer that harbors high levels of neutrophils. Neutrophils are enriched in human squamous lung cancer and correlate with poor prognosis and poor response to immunotherapy. Therefore, we hypothesize that these neutrophils are pro-tumorigenic and may be good therapeutic targets. Our work in currently in late stages of revision at Cancer Cell. We now seek to understand the role of neutrophils in squamous lung cancer. Toward this end, we are performing single cell RNA-sequencing and using preclinical mouse models to deplete neutrophils with clinically relevant drugs in vivo. We also seek to compare our findings in mice to neutrophils from human squamous lung cancer. We seek a postdoctoral candidate or senior scientist that is highly motivated and passionate with good communication skills. Experience in either immunology, cancer biology, or bioinformatics is desired. Please contact Trudy.Oliver@hci.utah.edu with a CV and cover letter.

Postdoctoral Fellowship in Virology (Swaminathan Lab)

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP available in Virology at the University of Utah – School of Medicine. NCI/NIH-funded projects focus on the host-pathogen relationship between oncogenic herpesviruses and the host cell.

Particular areas of interest are host restriction of virus reactivation and EBV and KSHV RNA-binding proteins involved in gene regulation. Targeting these proteins to discover novel antiviral compounds is an active area of research (See: Spironolactone blocks Epstein–Barr virus production by inhibiting EBV SM protein function, Verma D, Thompson D and Swaminathan S. PNAS March 29, 2016. 113 (13) 3609-3614). High throughput sequencing, recombinant molecular genetics and proteomics are being used to determine the role of virus proteins in modulating host cell gene expression and conversely, the role of cellular DNA binding proteins on virus reactivation.

Another area of interest is host epigenetic and immunologic methods of controlling EBV and KSHV replication.

(See: Li DJ, Verma D, Mosbruger T, Swaminathan S. CTCF and Rad21 Act as Host Cell Restriction Factors for Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus (KSHV) Lytic Replication by Modulating Viral Gene Transcription. PLoS Pathog. 2014 Jan;10(1):e1003880. Epub 2014  and

Li D, Fu W, Swaminathan S. Continuous DNA replication is required for late gene transcription and maintenance of replication compartments in gammaherpesviruses. PLoS Pathog. 2018 May 29;14(5):e1007070. doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007070. eCollection.)

Additional projects include investigating the mechanisms by which interferon-induced host proteins inhibit virus replication and oncogenic driver mutations/chromatin modifications in virus-associated lymphomas.

The successful applicant will be expected to contribute to planning experiments and writing manuscripts and grant applications in addition to carrying out bench research. A Ph.D or M.D. degree is required and experience in virology is desirable. An ability to work in a team environment is also important. If interested, please send CV and names of three references by e-mail to leakae.roberts@hsc.utah.edu

 Our laboratory is located in a newly renovated 4,000 square foot Infectious Diseases research facility in the Wintrobe Building at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. The Department of Medicine received over $30 million in research funding and the University of Utah received more than $450 million in grants in 2017. The University of Utah was ranked first in the country along with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in creating new startup companies from research-based inventions. The University of Utah consistently ranks in the top 25 in the United States for federally funded research in public universities and awards over 2,000 graduate degrees annually.

The University of Utah is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and educator. Minorities, women, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply. Veterans preference. Reasonable accommodations provided. For additional information: http://www.regulations.utah.edu/humanResources/5-106.html