Now Open: 7 Postdoctoral Fellowships at Northwestern University, Illinois

Interested in upgrading your educational experience? Northwestern University, Illinois in the United States may be the right option for you, Northwestern University, Illinois is offering several fellowship opportunities to international students who want to pursue their postdoctoral degrees at the university. In this article, we’ll explore the options available and what each entails. 

1. Computational and/or Experimental Biology, Genomics

This fellowship position is open to hiring motivated computational or experimental biologists. They are to work on NIH-funded research projects generating and applying next-generation degron technologies for genome regulation (Morphic consortium project) or aberrant genome regulation in chemoresistance in cancer and other diseases. The work is highly interdisciplinary, spanning statistical genetics, genomics, epigenomics, bioinformatics, data integration, and visualization. Also, the funded projects utilize various functional genomic tools (CRISPR manipulation, RNA-Seq, ATAC-Seq, single cell multi-omics) and data analysis of diverse genomics data types.

Application Deadline: Open Until Filled

Requirements: Interested candidates who want to apply for this fellowship opportunity at Northwestern University, Illinois must meet the following eligibility requirements: 

• Must be a wet lab and/or dry lab computational biologist.
• D. or graduate degree in a quantitative discipline such as Statistical Genetics, Bioinformatics, Computer Science, or Statistics, preferably less than 3 years out from the PhD.
• Experience with functional genomics tools or NGS data analysis pipelines (WGS, RNA-Seq, ChIP-Seq, scRNA-Seq, scATAC-Seq, Hi-C).
• First-author publication track record.
• Expertise in Linux and high-performance computing environments.
• Software skills: programming, e.g., python, R, expertise with documentation, version control, and code releases.
• Experience with the standard suite of bioinformatics tools (R, aligners, callers, single-cell genomics packages, etc.).
• Desire and ability to learn quickly, think creatively and apply and design new analytic approaches.
• Desire and ability to work both collaboratively and independently.

Visit the Award Webpage for Details

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2. Translational Brain Tumor Research

This position provides an opportunity to work in the NIH-funded lab of Dr. Adam Sonabend. He is a neurosurgeon-scientist specializing in translational brain tumor research, glioma progression, and transcription regulation. Also, the Sonabend Lab focuses on translational research using patient tumor specimens and clinical data, transgenic mouse glioma models, next-generation sequencing data (ChIP-seq, exome sequencing, RNA-seq), and innovative technologies such as whole genome CRISPR screens. Most projects involve analyzing clinical trial specimens to investigate biological questions.

Application Deadline: Open Until Filled

Requirements: Interested candidates who want to apply for this fellowship opportunity at Northwestern University, Illinois must meet the following eligibility requirements: 

• Expertise in immunology and flow cytometry techniques.
• Cloning, western blot, immunofluorescence, qPCR.
• Familiarity with next-generation sequencing data and gene expression analysis.
• CRISPR, gene silencing, and over-expression techniques.
• Assembly of viral vectors. 
• Basic coding and next-generation sequencing analysis. 

Visit the Award Webpage for Details

3. Epigenetic Modifications in Prostate Cancer Initiation/Progression

This postdoctoral position is available in the laboratory of Dr. Qi Cao at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, in the Department of Urology. The focus of Dr. Cao’s laboratory is to elucidate the role of epigenetic modifications in prostate cancer initiation/progression, utilizing both in vitro and in vivo model systems. Also, the candidate will dissect the functions of epigenetic modifiers in cancer, using state-of-the-art technologies.

Application Deadline: Open Until Filled

Requirements: Interested candidates who want to apply for this fellowship opportunity at Northwestern University, Illinois must meet the following eligibility requirements: 

• Experience in cancer research and evidence of project development.
• Experience working with laboratory animals is preferred but not essential.
• Excellent communication and writing skills.

Visit the Award Webpage for Details

4. Generative AI in the Newsroom (GAIN)

Additionally, Northwestern University is looking for candidates for a postdoctoral scholar position to work with Prof. Nick Diakopoulos from the Computational Journalism Lab (School of Communication) and Prof. Jeremy Gilbert from the Knight Lab (Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communication). Also, the focus of the position is to develop and advance a research agenda that will support the Generative AI in the Newsroom (GAIN) Initiative. The research agenda includes researching, prototyping, and evaluating the use of generative AI in news production, such as in news discovery, content creation, dissemination, or audience interaction/consumption. The goal is to also develop research that addresses the broader ethical, legal, and social implications of technical developments in journalism and wider media/technology ecology.

Application Deadline: Open Until Filled

Requirements: Interested candidates who want to apply for this fellowship opportunity at Northwestern University, Illinois must meet the following eligibility requirements: 

• Completed doctoral degree in Human-Computer Interaction, Human Centered Design, Information Science, Computer Science, Computational Social Science, Computational Journalism, or related fields;
• Prior experience and proficiency in working with generative AI models including programming, application to various use cases, and/or human-centered evaluation;
• Ability to work in highly collaborative and interdisciplinary teams;
• Strong communication skills both written and oral, including communicating research results to broader audiences (e.g. engaged scholarship).

Visit the Award Webpage for Details

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5. Urology, Microbiomes, and Neuroscience

Applicants are open to joining our interdisciplinary team to characterize the impact of the microbiome in novel mouse models where we study symptom mechanisms at the molecular, microbiologic, physiologic, and behavioral levels. We have reported differences in the GI microbiota of pelvic pain patients and developed novel murine models as platforms to dissect the mechanisms by which microbiota modulate pain and cognitive function. We now seek fellows interested in determining precisely how microglia transduce signals of specific bacteria to mediate the effects of the microbiome on pelvic pain and mood and exploiting this knowledge to develop novel therapies.

Application Deadline: Open Until Filled

Visit the Award Webpage for Details 

6. Basic/Translational Electrophysiological Research on Atrial Fibrillation

Furthermore, the Pfenniger Lab in the Feinberg Cardiovascular and Renal Research Institute at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine invites highly motivated and enthusiastic candidates with PhDs and MD/PhDs seeking advanced training to apply for a full-time postdoctoral position in basic/translational electrophysiological research. Our team investigates the molecular mechanisms contributing to the development of atrial fibrillation. We leverage gene therapy as a tool to disrupt candidate signaling pathways in the atria of various pre-clinical models, to develop novel therapeutic strategies for this disease. These basic and translational studies use a range of approaches that includes the full spectrum of electrophysiology (whole organism – whole organ – tissue – single cell) in addition to molecular biology, genetics, and omics approaches.

Application Deadline: Open Until Filled

Requirements: Interested candidates who want to apply for this fellowship opportunity at Northwestern University, Illinois must meet the following eligibility requirements: 

• Strong interest and prior record of conducting basic or translational research
• Highly motivated individual with a PhD, MD, or equivalent degree
• Interest in mechanisms of arrhythmias
• A minimum of one first-author publication
• Excellent writing and communication skills
• Able to work independently but also collaboratively as a team 

Visit the Award Webpage for Details

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7. Comprehensive Transplant Immunobiology Laboratory

Lastly, the Comprehensive Transplant Immunobiology Laboratory (CTIL) in the Division of Organ Transplantation at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine Chicago seeks a postdoctoral fellow. The research in CTIL focuses on understanding the biology of endothelial cell injuries in donor organs in the context of ischemia-reperfusion injuries and organ transplantation and developing novel therapies. The basic and translational research studies use a range of genetic, cell, and molecular biology approaches, using in vivo, ex vivo, and in vitro models.

Application Deadline: Open Until Filled

Requirements: Interested candidates who want to apply for this fellowship opportunity at Northwestern University, Illinois must meet the following eligibility requirements: 

• Strong interest and prior record of conducting basic or translational research
• Highly motivated individual with a PhD, MD, or equivalent degree with at least 1–2 years of experience in endothelial cell biology and/or solid organ transplantation
• Excellent writing and communication skills
• Ability and desire to work in a highly collaborative and transdisciplinary environment

Visit the Award Webpage for Details