A postdoctoral position is available in the laboratory of Hamed Jafar-Nejad, M.D., at the Department of Molecular & Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine. The laboratory uses cell culture, Drosophila and mouse genetics to identify and characterize genetic modifiers of human developmental disorders, in hopes of shedding light on disease pathophysiology and establishing new therapeutic targets. 

The lab has reported a mouse model for a developmental disorder called Alagille syndrome (ALGS; OMIM 118450), and has identified a number of dosage-sensitive genetic modifiers of the liver phenotypes in this model (Thakurdas et al, Hepatology, 2016; Adams et al, Hepatology, 2020, and unpublished).  Building on these observations, the Postdoctoral Fellow will take the lead in an NIH-funded project to examine the genetic and transcriptional network involved in ALGS liver abnormalities and will examine the potential utility of these modifiers for developing therapies for ALGS and other cholestatic diseases. These studies are likely to provide fundamental insights into normal biliary development and biliary repair in disease contexts.