Summary

About Us:  The lab of Dr. Kyle Eagen at Baylor College of Medicine focuses on elucidating how DNA folds within cells and how DNA misfolding relates to human disease. Baylor College of Medicine, one of the top-ranked medical schools in the country, is well known for its exceptional, innovative, and collaborative research environment. Dr. Eagen’s lab performs state-of-the-art molecular research using interdisciplinary approaches and the newest technologies while fostering career development and advancement. The lab is located in the Texas Medical Center, the largest biomedical complex in the world, immediately adjacent to Houston’s vibrant Museum District and Hermann Park.

About the Position: A Postdoctoral Associate position is available immediately in the laboratory of Dr. Kyle Eagen in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology. They will be responsible for leading highly interdisciplinary projects focusing on the molecular basis of how chromosomes are folded and compartmentalized within nuclei. An example is the lab’s discovery that highly acetylated regions of chromatin form a novel nuclear subcompartment (Chromatin Hyperacetylation Impacts Chromosome Folding by Forming a Nuclear Subcompartment, Molecular Cell, 2020). They will work side-by-side with Dr. Eagen to develop advanced scientific skills and tackle critical problems in chromosome biology while having the opportunity to present research findings at conferences and network with colleagues.

The ideal candidate should be highly motivated, well organized, manage time effectively, and be able to work independently as well as part of a team. They will obtain fundamental, career-building exposure in genomics, molecular biology, cell biology, and biochemistry as they lead one or more specific phases of entire projects and publish manuscripts as a lead author.

Job Duties

• Leads research projects by designing, conducting, troubleshooting, and analyzing experiments.
• Evaluates data to plan subsequent stages of projects.
• Disseminates research by publishing high-impact publications as a lead author and by presenting at conferences.
• Creatively conceive projects, critically plan, effectively conduct, and rigorously analyze specialized and advanced research experiments:
  • Biochemistry & Genomics
    • Chromosome conformation capture analysis by Hi-C, HiChIP, and Micro-C,
    • Chromatin profiling by ChIP-seq, CUT&RUN, and CUT&Tag,
    • Nascent transcription analysis by SLAM-seq and TT-seq.
  • Molecular & Cellular Biology
    • Cell culture, transfection, and transgene expression,
    • CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing,
    • High-resolution and live-cell fluorescence microscopy.
• Establishes new scientific directions by reading and evaluating scientific literature.
• Maintains accurate records of research findings along with analysis of results.
• Interacts with team members to make essential contributions to big problems while ensuring a high standard of laboratory organization.

Minimum Qualifications

• MD or Ph.D. in Basic Science, Health Science, or a related field.
• No experience required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in molecular biology and genomics techniques, such as Hi-C, ChIP-seq, CUT&RUN, and/or RNA-seq
• Experience in cell biology, such as cell culture, CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, and/or fluorescence microscopy
• Experience in bioinformatics and computational biology
• Outstanding interpersonal and communication skills and the ability to work independently and in a team environment
• A strong track record of reporting previous work via peer-reviewed publications
• A record of taking initiative to solve problems and working to high-quality standards
• Attention to detail and accurate record keeping
• Ability to multitask, work and learn independently, and be self-motivated