Postdoctoral Fellow-MSH-30020-176

In response to this challenge, Additional Ventures - a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding transformative research in single ventricle heart disease - has established the Additional Ventures Cures Collaborative (AVCC), an ambitious, multi-institutional, and deeply interdisciplinary consortium with the explicit goal of developing curative therapies for patient living with single ventricle disease.

https://www.additionalventures.org/initiatives/biomedical-research/cures-collaborative/

The AVCC brings together leading investigators across cardiac developmental biology, bioengineering, regenerative medicine, stem cell biology, computational modeling, and clinical cardiology, creating a uniquely integrated research environment that bridges the full spectrum from fundamental science to translational application. The Dubois Laboratory is a proud member of this collaborative, embedded within a rapidly expanding and highly connected community of single ventricle researchers who share data, tools, and insights across institutional boundaries. This position offers an exceptional opportunity to conduct research at the heart of this effort, with direct access to the collaborative’s scientific network, resources, and translational momentum.

The Dubois Laboratory investigates the fundamental mechanisms governing cardiac development, with particular focus on ventricular chamber morphogenesis, cardiomyocyte specification and maturation, and the developmental origins of congenital heart disease. We combine mouse genetics, human pluripotent stem cell models, single-cell and spatial transcriptomics, and functional assays to understand how the heart is built and how that process is compromised in disease. Our work is deeply integrated with the AVCC’s mission, and the successful candidate will work at the intersection of developmental biology, stem cell science, and cardiac bioengineering to advance a transformative therapeutic strategy for single ventricle disease. https://labs.icahn.mssm.edu/duboislab/

The Dubois Laboratory is recruiting a highly motivated Postdoctoral Fellow to lead a research program focused on the generation of highly functional, mature cardiomyocytes and their application toward building a pulsatile cardiac conduit as a potential therapy for single ventricle heart disease. This is a scientifically ambitious and technically multidisciplinary project that will require expertise spanning stem cell biology, cardiac differentiation, tissue engineering, and functional cardiac physiology. The successful candidate will have a central and intellectually independent role in shaping and executing this research, working in close collaboration with

AVCC partners across institutions and disciplines. We are looking for an individual who combines scientific rigor and creativity with the drive to work both independently and as a fully engaged member of a collaborative team. This position is ideally suited to a researcher who is motivated by the prospect of developing work that could ultimately benefit patients.

• Lead the design and execution of research projects aimed at generating highly functional

and mature cardiomyocytes from human pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) for therapeutic

applications in single ventricle disease

• Develop and optimize protocols for cardiomyocyte maturation, including metabolic,

electrical, mechanical, and structural maturation endpoints

• Collaborate with AVCC bioengineering partners on the integration of mature

cardiomyocytes into pulsatile conduit constructs, contributing biological expertise to an

interdisciplinary design process

• Apply advanced functional assays to characterize cardiomyocyte maturity and

performance, including electrophysiology, calcium imaging, contractile force

measurements, and metabolic profiling

• Leverage single-cell and spatial transcriptomic tools to interrogate cardiomyocyte

identity, maturation state, and functional heterogeneity

• Participate actively in AVCC collaborative meetings, contribute to cross-institutional data

sharing, and help build the broader single ventricle research community

• Mentor junior laboratory members including graduate students and research technicians

• Contribute to the preparation

• PhD, MD/PhD, or equivalent doctoral degree in cell biology, developmental biology,

biomedical engineering, physiology, or a closely related field

• Demonstrated expertise in human pluripotent stem cell culture and directed cardiac

differentiation

• Strong publication record commensurate with experience, with evidence of independent

scientific thinking and productivity

• Solid foundation in cell and molecular biology techniques

• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including experience presenting in

scientific forums

• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a multidisciplinary research

environment

• Enthusiasm for translational research and a genuine interest in the clinical problem of

single ventricle heart disease

• Experience with cardiomyocyte maturation strategies and functional characterization

(electrophysiology, contractility, calcium handling, metabolomics)

• Familiarity with cardiac tissue engineering technologies

• Experience with single-cell RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, or other highdimensional

genomic approaches

• Background in cardiac development, congenital heart disease, or cardiovascular

physiology

• Prior experience in a collaborative, multi-institutional research environment

• Experience mentoring junior researchers

Interested candidates should submit the following materials in a single email to:

nicole.dubois@mssm.edu

• A current curriculum vitae (CV) including a full list of publications

• A brief letter of intent (1–2 pages) describing your research experience, relevant

expertise, your specific interest in this position, and your longer-term scientific goals

• Contact information for three references

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Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the