The Hargus lab at the Taub Institute and the Department of Pathology and Cell Biology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center is looking for a highly motivated and driven postdoctoral research scientist with a strong interest in stem cell biology, neural development, and neurodegenerative diseases. We use differentiated human-induced pluripotent stem cells to identify mechanisms leading to neuronal degeneration in Alzheimer's disease and frontotemporal dementia. This research project will include the application of in vitro disease modeling techniques such as neuron-microglia co-cultures and single-cell RNA sequencing as well as transplantation of differentiated stem cells into mice.

The lab applies human induced pluripotent stem cells to model neurodegenerative diseases, with a special emphasis on tauopathies including frontotemporal dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. Current studies within the lab focus on elucidating the mechanisms of disturbed function in patient neurons. We apply cell stress, seahorse and metabolomics assays, bulk and single cell sequencing, and co-culture assays using iPSC-derived neurons and glial cells including astrocytes and microglia to characterize cell-intrinsic disease phenotypes as well as non-cell-autonomous mechanisms of disease development. Furthermore, we transplant patient and control iPSC-derived neural cells into the brains of immunocompromised mice followed by histology and snRNA-seq of microdissected grafts. These studies are complemented by snRNA-seq studies on postmortem brain tissue from patients with tauopathies carrying the same disease-associated mutations as our iPSCs.


Experimental techniques for this project include:

· Culture and differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells into neurons and glial cells

· In vitro assays on differentiated cells

· Transplantation of iPSC-derived neurons into the brains of immunocompromised mice

· Histology of grafts followed by confocal imaging

· Microdissection of grafted human neurons followed by snRNA-seq


The position is available full-time.

Experience with human stem cell culture and differentiation is preferred.

Career development including attendance at conferences is strongly supported.

Start date: 4/1/2023

Please send your CV and cover letter to Dr. Gunnar Hargus: [email protected]


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