Research Scholar, Engineering Non-Coding Genome in Immune Cells (Immunogenomics Group - Biohub NY)

The Team

CZ Biohub New York will first harness the natural capabilities of our immune cells to detect and fix abnormalities in our bodies at very early stages. It will then bioengineer immune cells to create new capabilities to detect and potentially treat events before they lead to untreatable disease.

CZ Biohub New York is part of the CZ Biohub Network, a group of nonprofit research institutes created and supported by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.

Our Vision

• We pursue large scientific challenges that cannot be pursued in conventional environments
• We enable individual investigators to pursue their riskiest and most innovative ideas
• The technologies developed at the CZ Biohub Network facilitate research by scientists and clinicians at our home institutions and beyond

Diversity of thought, ideas, and perspectives are at the heart of CZ Biohub Network and enable disruptive innovation and scholarly excellence. We are committed to cultivating an organization where all colleagues feel inspired and know their work makes an important contribution.

The Opportunity

The Laboratory of Immunogenomics at CZ Biohub NY studies the non-coding regulatory genome to understand and address immune dysfunction in diseases like cancer, autoimmune disorders, and aging. We focus on enhancers—non-coding, highly cell–type–specific transcriptional regulatory elements—and their role in shaping immune responses. We develop and utilize genomic technologies, including bulk and single-cell nascent RNA sequencing, genome editing, immune engineering, and CRISPR-based functional screens in patient biopsies, organoid systems, and mouse models. Through computational analysis integrating machine learning and AI, we map enhancer–gene networks and identify disease-driving elements. Our goal is to advance enhancer-guided precision genomic medicine for diseases involving immune dysfunction.

We are seeking a highly motivated Research Scholar to lead pioneering research into the functional mapping and engineering of non-coding regulatory elements that govern immune cell gene expression. This role will focus on identifying and manipulating enhancers, silencers, and other cis-regulatory elements that control immune-modulating genes (cytokines, chemokines, checkpoint regulators) to reprogram immune responses in health and disease.

The successful candidate will integrate advanced functional genomics, single-cell multi-omics, and synthetic biology approaches to dissect immune regulatory circuits, engineer precise expression control in immune cell subsets, and apply these strategies in in vivo models and human-derived immune organoid systems. This is a unique opportunity to operate at the intersection of genomics, immunology, and bioengineering in a collaborative, multidisciplinary environment.

What You'll Do

Functional genomics & genome engineering:  Apply high-throughput CRISPR/Cas9 and CRISPRi/a screens, STARR-seq, and massively parallel reporter assays (MPRA) to functionally map immune-cell-specific enhancers, silencers, and boundary elements.

Single-cell & spatial genomics: Develop and optimize protocols for scRNA-seq, scATAC-seq, scCUT&Tag, spatial transcriptomics, and multimodal platforms (e.g., 10x Genomics Multiome, Visium).

Transcriptional regulation: Use scGRO-seq, SLAM-seq, and nascent RNA profiling to dissect transcriptional kinetics in engineered immune cells.Epigenome editing: Employ targeted histone modification and DNA methylation tools (e.g., dCas9-p300, dCas9-TET1) to modulate enhancer activity in immune contexts.

Immune cell engineering:

• • Primary cell manipulation: Isolate, culture, and genetically reprogram primary human and murine immune cells, including T cells, B cells, NK cells, dendritic cells, macrophages, and HSPCs.

  • Synthetic biology circuits: Design logic-gated circuits and inducible systems for spatially and temporally controlled gene expression.

  • Ex vivo & organoid models: Engineer immune cells within human immune organoids, tumor–immune co-cultures, and 3D hydrogel scaffolds.

  • In vivo translation: Apply engineered cells in syngeneic and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) mouse models.

Data integration & computational biology: