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Postdoctoral Position in Sjögren’s Disease Immunogenomics and Salivary Gland Dysfunction National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health in United States
Degree Level
Postdoc
Field of study
Biology
Funding
Available
Country
United States
University
National Institutes of Health
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About this position
The Salivary Disorders Unit at the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, in Bethesda, Maryland, is recruiting a postdoctoral researcher for a 2–5-year project on Sjögren’s disease and salivary gland dysfunction.
The central research question is which antigens are recognized by T cells in Sjögren’s disease-affected salivary glands and how that recognition contributes to the loss of glandular function. The program connects a Sjögren’s disease research clinic with a laboratory studying the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying salivary gland dysfunction, enabling research to move from patient biopsy observations to antigen discovery and functional testing in human cellular systems.
The postdoctoral researcher will characterize disease-associated immune responses using single-cell transcriptomics, immune-receptor profiling, and spatial transcriptomics. The work will examine cell states, expanded lymphocyte clones, and their tissue neighborhoods. The project will also use cell engineering and T-SCAN-I/II-based approaches to discover antigens recognized by patient-derived CD8⁺ and CD4⁺ T-cell receptors.
Additional experiments will investigate immune–immune and immune–epithelial interactions in patient-derived organotypic cultures. Spatial transcriptomics and functional studies will be integrated to map and test interactions between antigen-specific T cells and candidate target cells, helping clarify how antigen recognition shapes inflammation and epithelial dysfunction.
The research environment combines clinical insight, human tissue analysis, immunogenomics, cellular engineering, and functional experimentation within the Salivary Disorders Unit at NIH/NIDCR.
Funding details
Available
What's required
Candidates should hold or be completing a PhD in immunology, immunogenomics, molecular or cellular biology, computational biology, or a closely related field. Applicants should have strong training in immunology, demonstrated expertise in experimental immunology or immunogenomic analysis, scientific rigor, and enthusiasm for connecting discovery with functional experimentation. Valuable experience includes single-cell or spatial data analysis, T-cell receptor repertoire analysis, human immune-cell isolation and functional assays, flow cytometry, cell engineering, HLA biology and antigen presentation, or primary-cell and organotypic culture. Strong communication, collaboration, and independent problem-solving skills are essential. Applicants must submit a CV, approximately one-page cover letter, and names and contact information for two research references.
How to apply
Email your CV, approximately one-page cover letter, and the names and contact information for two references to [email protected]. Use the subject line “Postdoctoral Application—Sjögren’s Immunogenomics.”
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Make your next move.
Prepare your application
Review drafts and confirm requirements with the university.