Postdoctoral positions at University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)
Professor Xianhua Piao at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) is seeking a dynamic, independent, and creative postdoctoral researcher to join her team. The Piao Lab has a longstanding interest in adhesion G protein-coupled receptors (aGPCRs) and their roles in brain development and disease, with a particular focus on ADGRG1 (GPR56). Our work has helped define the biological functions and signaling mechanisms of ADGRG1 in the nervous system and has expanded from its roles in brain development to its emerging functions in microglia and neurodegenerative disease.
The successful candidate will lead a new project investigating thesignaling mechanisms and therapeutic activation of ADGRG1 (GPR56), an adhesion G protein-coupled receptor selectively expressed in parenchymal microglia. Our published and preliminary studies identify ADGRG1 as a regulator of a protective microglial program relevant to Alzheimer’s disease (AD), with the potential to influence both amyloid-β and tau pathology. The project will define the molecular mechanisms of ADGRG1 activation and downstream signaling and develop and characterize synthetic ADGRG1 agonists. Particular emphasis will be placed on understanding how ligand-receptor interactions control signaling potency, kinetics, and durability and on developing engineered agonists, including covalent/proximity-enabled approaches for sustained receptor activation. Lead agonists will be evaluated in human iPSC-derived microglia to establish receptor-dependent signaling and functional responses relevant to AD.
Setting/Salary/Benefits: Our laboratory is in an academic setting at UCSF, a dynamic and internationally recognized research institution with extensive infrastructural and core facility support. Postdoctoral appointees receive a starting salary based on the NIH NRSA guidelines and a generous benefits package. In addition, postdoctoral appointees pursue independent research with additional professional development provided through the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs.
Qualifications: Candidates should hold a Ph.D. in molecular/cell biology, pharmacology, biochemistry, protein engineering, or a related field. Preference will be given to applicants with strong research training in GPCR signaling and pharmacology, receptor biology, quantitative cell-based signaling assays, protein engineering, or chemical biology. Prior experience with ADGRG1, microglia, or Alzheimer’s disease is not required. Successful applicants will manage independent research projects, including experimental design, written dissemination of findings through first-author publications, and oral presentation of research findings in institutional forums and at national/international conferences.
Interested candidates should send a cover letter describing past research accomplishments and future research interests, a current CV, and a list of 2 reference contacts to Dr. Xianhua Piao (xianhua.piao@ucsf.edu).