Postdoctoral Fellow / Scientist 1 - T Cell Biology and Tissue Immunology

The Team

Our immune cell reprogramming mission integrates foundational research on immunology and disease biology with AI-modeling to develop engineered cells that harness our own immune system to detect and treat early signs of age-related diseases, like cancer, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s. These technologies will enable precise, context-dependent therapeutic responses only when and where it is needed. You can learn more about our work here. 

Our work brings together three powerhouse universities - Columbia University, The Rockefeller University, and Yale University - into a single collaborative technology and discovery engine.

Our Vision

• Pursue large scientific challenges that cannot be pursued in conventional environments
• Enable individual investigators to pursue their riskiest and most innovative ideas
• Facilitate research by scientists and clinicians at our home institutions and beyond

We are a team of passionate individuals powered by technology, guided by scientific research, and driven by collaboration, working toward a mission to cure or prevent all disease. 

The Opportunity

The Parsa Lab (Immune Cell Dynamics and Function group) at Biohub New York is seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Fellow or Scientist I to investigate how T cells interact with their local tissue environments and how these interactions shape immune responses in health and disease.

Our research aims to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms governing T cell differentiation, function, and adaptation across tissues. We are particularly interested in how interactions between immune cells and their surrounding microenvironment shape immune responses in various inflammatory settings. Our long-term goal is to leverage these insights to develop strategies for reprogramming immune cells in a disease- and tissue-specific manner, enabling precise manipulation of immune responses for therapeutic benefit.

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to develop innovative research projects aimed at understanding how immune cells interact with their surrounding tissue microenvironment to establish persistent cellular networks that shape tissue homeostasis, function, and responses to subsequent challenges. The research will combine experimental immunology with cutting-edge technologies, including genetically engineered mouse models, single-cell genomics, spatial transcriptomics, genetic perturbation approaches, and machine learning/artificial intelligence. The position is part of a highly collaborative research environment that brings together expertise in immunology, genomics, computational biology, and technology development to address fundamental questions about tissue–immune interactions.

We are looking for a creative and independent scientist with a strong background in experimental biology, genetic engineering, bioengineering, or functional genomics, and a particular interest in developing scalable in vivo approaches to investigate complex biological systems. The ideal candidate will combine expertise in molecular and cellular engineering with an interest in understanding how cells interact, communicate, and establish functional relationships within tissues. This position offers an opportunity to develop innovative experimental technologies, contribute to multidisciplinary research initiatives, and establish an independent scientific direction.

What You'll Do

• Investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating immune cell responses and interactions within tissue microenvironments.
• Design and perform in vivo experiments using mouse models.
• Characterize immune cell differentiation, function, and interactions with other cells.
• Apply advanced experimental approaches, including molecular biology, single-cell sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, and genetic perturbation technologies.
• Develop and test hypotheses to understand how immune cells and local tissue environments reciprocally shape each other’s behavior and function.
• Work collaboratively with experimental and computational scientists across Biohub to integrate cellular, molecular, and spatial datasets.
• Design, execute, and analyze experiments independently.
• Present scientific findings at meetings and conferences and prepare manuscripts for publication.
• Contribute to the scientific development of the laboratory and mentor junior researchers.

What You'll Bring

• PhD in molecular biology, bioengineering, genetics, cell biology, immunology, or a related field.
• 3+ years experience with demonstrated impact in experimental molecular and cellular biology.
• 2+ years of post PhD experience for Scientist position
• Demonstrated experience with mouse models, and tissue processing.
• Hands-on experience with molecular cloning, genetic engineering, or genetic perturbation approaches.
• Experience designing, optimizing, and troubleshooting complex experimental workflows.
• Demonstrated ability to independently design, execute, and interpret experiments.
• Strong scientific curiosity, creativity, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication and collaborative skills.
• Interest in applying engineering and functional genomics approaches to understand complex biological systems.

Strong applicants have skills in one or more of the following areas:

• Experience with scalable genetic perturbation approaches, including pooled CRISPR screens, in vivo perturbation strategies, or functional genomics.
• Experience studying immune cell differentiation, activation, migration, or effector function.
• Experience with mouse disease models.
• Experience with single-cell RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, or other high-dimensional genomic technologies.
• Experience with molecular cloning, viral vector engineering, or genetic manipulation of mammalian cells.
• Experience with advanced flow cytometry, cell sorting, or imaging techniques.
• Experience analyzing high-dimensional immunological datasets.

Candidates are not expected to have experience with all the listed approaches. We value a strong experimental foundation, scientific creativity, and enthusiasm for exploring fundamental questions in immunology.

Interested candidates should submit the following documents:

• Cover Letter detailing research interests, motivations, career goals, and summary of a significant publication or project that highlights your contributions.
• Full version of Curriculum Vitae (CV), highlighting major achievements, and contact information for 3 references (letters will be requested as needed).

Compensation

The New York City, NY base pay range for a new hire in this role is Postdoctoral Fellow = $93,000.00 & Scientist I = $120,000 - $150,000. New hires are typically hired into the lower portion of the range, enabling employee growth in the range over time. Actual placement in range is based on job-related skills and experience, as evaluated throughout the interview process. 

Benefits for the Whole You 

We’re thankful to have an incredible team behind our work. To honor their commitment, we offer a wide range of benefits to support the people who make all we do possible. 

• Provides a generous employer match on employee 401(k) contributions to support planning for the future.
• Paid time off to volunteer at an organization of your choice. 
• Funding for select family-forming benefits. 
• Relocation support for employees who need assistance moving

If you’re interested in a role but your previous experience doesn’t perfectly align with each qualification in the job description, we still encourage you to apply as you may be the perfect fit for this or another role.

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