Research Assistant Jobs in Rome, NY (NOW HIRING)

Postdoctoral Research Fellow - Wu Lab

The Wu laboratory at the Masonic Medical Research Institute (MMRI) is seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral fellow to join an NIH R01-funded research program investigating the transcriptional regulation in hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS). Our laboratory combines mouse genetics with cutting-edge multi-omics approaches, including bulk RNA-seq, single-cell RNA-seq, single-cell ATAC-seq, spatial transcriptomics, ChIP-seq, and CLIP-seq, to uncover the complex gene regulatory networks governed by transcription factors and RNA-binding proteins in cardiac development and disease. Through these studies, we aim to define the molecular mechanisms underlying congenital and acquired heart diseases, including HLHS, left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC), and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), to identify new therapeutic strategies for improving cardiovascular health.

About the PI

Dr. Tongbin Wu received his B.S. and Ph.D. from Wuhan University, where he trained under the mentorship of Dr. Xiang-Dong Fu, a internationally recognized leader in RNA biology. He subsequently completed his postdoctoral training at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) in the laboratory of Dr. Ju Chen, a distinguished professor in cardiovascular biology. In 2023, Dr. Wu joined the Masonic Medical Research Institute (MMRI) as an Assistant Professor, where he established an independent research program focused on the molecular mechanisms governing heart development and disease. His laboratory has a particular interest in gene regulatory networks underlying cardiovascular development and disease. Dr. Wu's work has been published in leading journals, including Circulation, Circulation Research, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), and the American Journal of Physiology–Heart and Circulatory Physiology. His research is currently supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Saving tiny Hearts Society.

Selected Recent Publications:

Wu et al. Circulation (2022)

https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.121.056666 

Wu et al. Circulation Research (2025)

https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/full/10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.125.326948 

Stanley et al. American Journal of Physiology–Heart and Circulatory Physiology (2026)

https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/ajpheart.00135.2026 

For more information, please visit our website

• An opportunity to present your work at national/international conferences.
• Support for publication of high and medium impact journal articles. We are also strong advocates of preprints.
• A supportive environment that keeps your short and long-term career goals in mind. Your success is our success!
• Clear expectations provided in structured project management.
• A closely-knit, exceptionally equipped research institute with a wide variety of research interests and expertise.
• A highly competitive compensation and benefits packages.
• A position in the very affordable Mohawk Valley of Upstate New York: an ideal region for those interested in myriad outdoor adventures including those in the Adirondack State Park, the largest park in the contiguous United States.

• A recent or pending Ph.D. in the cardiovascular research or related fields.
• Proficient in molecular and cell biology techniques. 
• Experience in small animal handling techniques.
• Experience in generating and analyzing next-generation sequencing (NGS) datasets.
• Demonstrated productivity in the form of first author publications and presentations.
• Excitement to tackle difficult scientific questions in areas that will involve significant development of technical and analytical workflows.
• Scientific creativity to identify novel approaches to answer our research questions.
• A hard working and collegial attitude.
• A desire to work in an informal, highly collaborative, and scientifically rigorous laboratory environment.

• Experimental execution, performance, and data collection.
• Research Protocol.
• Scientific Terminology.
• Flexible – ability to change directions as needed for the benefit of laboratory.
• Performance Excellence – high responsibility, pleasant to work with, provides timely and accurate information.
• Organized – manages time effectively, keeps tasks appropriately prioritized.
• Critical Thinking – ability to think through issues and identify appropriate options.
• Work Ethic – motivated, diligent, industrious, and persistent in the workplace, stays on tasks to completion, works at a fast pace to ensure optimal efficiency.
• Interpersonal – can build effective, strong working relationships with colleagues and management through trust, communication, and credibility.
• Teamwork – ability to work with others, serve others, help others, take directions from others in the interest of moving process and programs forward to the desired outcome.

• A general love of science and all the challenges that come with it.
• Excitement to tackle challenging, multidisciplinary scientific questions in areas involving development of technical and analytical workflows.
• Scientific creativity to identify and evaluate novel approaches to answer our research questions.
• A hard working and collegial attitude.
• A desire to work in a relatively informal, highly collaborative, and scientifically rigorous team-centered laboratory environment.