Job Description

The Mechanobiology Institute (MBI), National University of Singapore is seeking to recruit a Postdoctoral Fellow (Research Fellow) to join Asst. Prof. Andrew Holle’s Confinement Mechanobiology group (established Jan 2021).

The broad objective of the Confinement Mechanobiology Lab is to use mechanobiology principles and recent observations on the nature of small, fluid-filled ‘cellular highways’ in the interstitial extracellular matrix (ECM) to identify, engineer, and leverage the role of confinement in stem cell differentiation. The presence of stem cells in nearly every tissue suggests that wound healing and regeneration depend on localized differentiation, but recent work has shown that bone marrow stem cells are enriched in distant healing sites, proving they must exit the marrow or other local niches and squeeze through heterogeneous layers of ECM with varied mechanical properties. Despite this, little is known of the mechanical environment that stem cells are exposed to on their migratory journey, even as it has become widely accepted that stem cells actively differentiate in response to mechanical signaling.

To characterize the nature of fluid-filled interstitial channels that can impose confinement upon migrating cells, tissue samples will be obtained via collaborations with clinicians at National University Hospital (NUH) or from the SingHealth Tissue Repository. These samples will come from multiple organs to which stem cells can differentiate, as well as from diseased tissue in which ECM alterations underlie a dysregulation of interstitial spaces. The fellow will be responsible for assessing these tissues in terms of interstitial channel morphology, the presence of cells, and the architecture of the surrounding ECM via sectioning of fresh-frozen tissue samples, confocal microscopy, tissue clearing, and expansion microscopy.

The MBI and NUS provide state-of-the-art facilities dedicated to microfluidics, high-resolution imaging, and cell culture that will support the fellow in training, setup, and execution of the project.

Applicants with unique proposals relating to confinement mechanobiology within the scope of the lab, especially in the areas of microfluidics, cellular engineering, or biomaterials development are also encouraged to apply.

Salary and benefits are commensurable to educational qualifications and working experience of the candidate. Apply at http://www.nus.edu.sg/careers/.

Requirements

Candidates with a PhD in bioengineering, biology, biomedical sciences, or similar fields are encouraged to apply. They should have a strong background in mechanobiology, ECM/tissue biology, microscopy, and image analysis. Prior knowledge of advanced tissue preparation/sectioning techniques (e.g. tissue clearing, expansion microscopy, etc) are not a prerequisite, but can be advantageous. The candidate should possess excellent communication skills and engage in collaborative research in a highly interdisciplinary environment.

More Information

Location: Kent Ridge Campus
Organization: Engineering
Department : Biomedical Engineering