Job Summary
The Evans Laboratory at the Salk Institute seeks to understand the molecular mechanisms that regulate pancreatic islet development, function, and survival, and to translate these discoveries into new therapeutic approaches for diabetes. Our research integrates human pluripotent stem cell biology, genome engineering, organoid differentiation, and transplantation models to develop functional and immune-protected insulin-producing cells.
We are currently seeking a highly motivated junior postdoctoral fellow to join a research program supported by a newly awarded five-year NIH R01 grant. The successful candidate will study the differentiation of human induced pluripotent stem cells into pancreatic beta cells and islet-like organoids and evaluate their function, immune compatibility, and therapeutic potential in vitro and through transplantation in preclinical diabetes models.
The candidate will develop and optimize protocols for pancreatic progenitor and beta-cell differentiation, characterize stem cell-derived islet cells using molecular and functional assays, and perform islet transplantation studies. The project may also involve genome editing and the development of immune-evasive human islet-like organoids for cell replacement therapy.
The ideal candidate will have a Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. in stem cell biology, developmental biology, diabetes research, bioengineering, or a related field. Prior experience with human embryonic stem cells or iPSCs, pancreatic or beta-cell differentiation, three-dimensional cell culture, or islet transplantation is strongly preferred. Experience with genome editing, flow cytometry, single-cell analysis, glucose-stimulated insulin secretion assays, or mouse models of diabetes would be an additional advantage.
Candidates should be intellectually curious, highly motivated, productive, and committed to rigorous and collaborative science. The postdoctoral fellow will join a multidisciplinary team of stem cell biologists, molecular biologists, genome engineers, and diabetes researchers working to advance stem cell-derived islet replacement therapies toward clinical translation.
Job location is in Salk Main Campus
What We Can Offer
The full postdoctoral salary range for wet lab opportunities is $70,500-$78,000 (see below). This range covers the entire postdoctoral training period; recent Ph.D. graduates should expect an offer at or close to $70,500 (minimum of the salary range). Salk Institute provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of what the institute reasonably expects to pay for a position. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as (but not limited to) the scope and responsibilities of the position, the qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal equity, and external market pay for comparable jobs.
Experience Level/Tier
Salk Postdoc Salary
Benefits
Salk Institute offers competitive benefits (https://www.salk.edu/about/careers/benefits/), including medical, dental, vision, retirement, paid time off, tuition reimbursement, patient advocacy services, and transit/parking program.
Salk Values
The Salk Community, both scientists and administrators, worked together to define values that we believe support Salk’s pursuit of excellence. To be truly the best scientific institution requires not only incredible discoveries, but a common understanding of how we should work together to enable those discoveries.
The acronym “I CARE” (https://www.salk.edu/about/careers/values/) provides a simple way to remember each of the values and reminds each of us of the importance of what we do each day.
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
The Salk Institute for Biological Studies is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to providing equal access to opportunities for students, employees, applicants for employment and other visitors. Salk has also adopted and maintains a policy to encourage professional and respectful workplace behavior and prevent discriminatory and harassing conduct in our workplace.
Accordingly, the Institute prohibits harassment and discrimination in employment on the basis of, and considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to, actual or perceived race (race is inclusive of traits associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles. Protective hairstyles include, but not limited to, such hairstyles as braids, and twists), color, religion, religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), national origin, ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, marital status, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), reproductive health decision making, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, veteran and/or military status (disabled veteran, veteran of the Vietnam era, other covered veteran status), political affiliation, and any other status protected by state or federal law.
Discrimination is prohibited with any intersectionality of the above-mentioned characteristics, including:
- Any combination of characteristics.
- A perception that the person has any of the characteristics or any combination of those characteristics.
- A perception that the person is associated with a person who has, or is perceived to have, any of those characteristics or any combination of those characteristics.
Equal Opportunity Employer
This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights (https://www.eeoc.gov/poster) notice from the Department of Labor.
