Dr. Jennifer Downs’s laboratory seeks a motivated and enthusiastic post-doctoral PhD fellow to lead the laboratory-based analysis of immune cells and gene expression in female genital schistosomiasis (FGS). FGS is a neglected tropical disease that affects at least 40 million women and girls worldwide and is caused by parasite eggs becoming lodged in genital mucosa. It causes genital symptoms including pain, discharge, and infertility, and the optimal treatment is not known. A major focus of the Downs lab is to characterize the genital mucosal effects of FGS in order to identify novel strategies for treatment. Genital tract and peripheral blood samples are collected from an ongoing NIH-funded cohort study in Tanzania and analyzed in New York. Other areas of translational immunology focus include intestinal schistosomiasis and women’s health, including studies of HPV and vaccine responsiveness.
Job Requirements
M.D. or Ph.D. with at least two years of laboratory experience in the fields of immunology or microbiology.
Experience in flow cytometry, and ideally spectral flow cytometry, and molecular biology. Experience with RNA Sequencing and/or bioinformatics is helpful but not required.
Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively within a research team.
High motivation to make a major contribution to advance the science of female genital schistosomiasis.
The post-doctoral fellow will join a community of global health researchers conducting translational research to address diseases of the world’s poor, with robust international collaborations in Tanzania, Haiti, and India. The fellow will have the opportunity to travel to Mwanza, Tanzania to work with field teams and to provide teaching at our partner laboratory at the National Institute for Medical Research. The fellow will have opportunities to present research at Weill Cornell seminar series and global health rounds, to lead manuscripts, and to submit research for presentation at international conferences.
Our laboratory is located in a vibrant research hub at Weill Cornell Medicine on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York City. Members of our lab team have access to cutting-edge technologies and opportunities for collaboration with leaders in biomedical research both at Weill Cornell Medicine and at the neighboring institutions of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer and Rockefeller University.
To apply
We welcome applications from qualified candidates of all backgrounds, including both U.S. citizens and international applicants. The position offers a competitive salary and the opportunity to apply for post-doctoral housing, if the application is successful. Please submit a one-page cover letter describing prior research experience and future research interests and goals, together with a CV, to:
Jennifer Downs, M.D., Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Medicine, Microbiology and Immunology
Salary for this position ranges $58,500 - $66,538. Weill Cornell Medicine provides the above salary range in compliance with the New York City law on Salary Transparency in Job Advertisements. The salary range listed is for full‐time employment not including benefits, bonuses, or clinical incentive compensation where applicable. The above salary range for New York City based roles represents WCM’s good faith and reasonable estimate of possible compensation at the time of posting. Weill Cornell Medicine is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer and provides equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, color, age, religion, protected veteran or disability status, or genetic information.
Contact
- Microbiology and Immunology