New Jersey - Eastern Pennsylvania - Delaware HERC

Position Summary:

This is an NIH-funded postdoctoral research position. The long-term goal of this research project is to understand how cilia function. Cilia and extracellular vesicles (EVs) are signaling organelles that play important roles in human health and disease. We recently showed that C. elegans ciliated sensory neurons release bioactive, polycystin-containing EVs. In humans, mutations in the polycystin-encoding PKD1 and PKD2 genes cause autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). In C. elegans and mammals, the polycystins act in the same genetic pathway, act in a sensory capacity, localize to cilia, and are contained in secreted EVs, indicating ancient functions. EV shedding from ciliated cells is an evolutionarily conserved phenomenon, yet remarkably little is known about the relationship between the polycystins, cilia, and EVs and the fundamental biology of EVs. The primary role of this position is to design, perform, and interpret experiments to address central questions regarding the biology of cilia, EVs, and the polycystins.

Minimum Education and Experience:

PhD and some postdoctoral experience

Posting Number: 19FA1633

About Rutgers University

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a leading national public research university and the state's preeminent, comprehensive public institution of higher education. Rutgers is dedicated to teaching that meets the highest standards of excellence; to conducting research that breaks new ground; and to turning knowledge into solutions for local, national, and global communities. As it was at our founding in 1766, the heart of our mission is preparing students to become productive members of society and good citizens of the world. Rutgers teaches across the full educational spectrum: preschool to precollege; undergraduate to graduate and postdoctoral; and continuing education for professional and personal advancement. Rutgers is New Jersey's land-grant institution and one of the nation's foremost research universities, and as such, we educate, make discoveries, serve as an engine of economic growth, and generate ideas for improving people's lives.

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