The Postdoctoral Research Fellow position in Dr. Jonathan Yen’s laboratory within the Division of Experimental Hematology offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research in genome engineering. Dr. Yen’s lab focuses on developing innovative strategies to treat hemoglobinopathies, with a particular emphasis on sickle cell disease.
The successful candidate will engage in translational research, exploring novel genome editing techniques and their potential clinical applications.
Dr. Yen’s laboratory explores and develops novel genome engineering strategies to treat hemoglobinopathies, like sickle cell disease. A current major focus of the lab is to conduct IND-enabling studies to translate new genome editing strategies like base editing to the clinic, which includes optimization of hematopoietic stem cell editing, and pharmacology and toxicology studies. In addition, the laboratory also is exploring new aspects of mouse models and transplantations, novel in vivo and ex vivo delivery strategies, and new strategies to make genome editing therapies more accessible and affordable around the world.
Dr. Yen has led a highly productive and collaborative laboratory, with recent publications include ones in Nature, Nature Genetics, and Nature Biomedical Engineering. Dr. Yen was previously in industry setting before coming to St. Jude. He has led the St. Jude’s efforts on their first clinical genome edited program to treat sickle cell disease, St. Jude Autologous Genome Edited Stem cells (SAGES1), using Cas9 nucleases to induce fetal hemoglobin, and is now working on SAGES2, which uses a base editing strategy to treat sickle cell disease.
Candidates should have recently earned/expect to earn a Ph.D. and have published at least one first author primary research paper in a high impact peer reviewed journal. They should have experience in hematopoietic stem cell biology, genome editing, and/or non-viral delivery technologies like LNP, VLPs, or other nanoparticles.
Dr. Yen’s lab provides a dynamic and collaborative environment, fostering scientific growth and impactful discoveries. Interested candidates are encouraged to apply and contribute to advancing genome editing therapies for patients worldwide.