TAMU Center for Biological Clocks

TAMU Center for Biological Clocks Research

Li Lab Postdoc Positions

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Postdoctoral associate, graduate student, research assistant positions are available in the laboratory of Dr. Wanhe Li in the Department of Biology, Center for Biological Clocks Research, Texas A&M University (https://www.bio.tamu.edu/faculty-page-wanhe-li/). Our research program links sleep and emotion studies in model organisms. Specifically, we exploit chronic social isolation to study the etiology of sleep loss and other adverse health conditions under chronic stress1.

We are focusing on:

  1. Analyzing genetic pathways underlying chronic social isolation-induced sleep loss and determining how circadian, seasonal, disease and age factors influence these pathways.
  2. Identifying neural substrates and circuits underlying social isolation-induced sleep loss. These neural substrates and circuits will reveal (a) principles of sleep and wakefulness control; (b) molecular and circuit mechanisms underlying the passage of time during chronic social isolation.
  3. Exploring chronic social isolation-induced metabolic changes and its associated health outcomes.
  4. Developing a genetically tractable animal model to study the reciprocal relationship between chronic stress and the progression of tumor.

Research Keyword

Chronic stress, chronic social isolation, sleep and wakefulness regulation, metabolism, ageing, chronic diseases, tumorigenesis, circadian biology, neural circuits, genetics, and genomics.

For postdoctoral positions, applicants are expected to hold a Ph.D. and/or M.D. (or equivalent doctoral degrees) at the start date. Applicants with any research background are welcome to apply. Prior experience in biochemistry/molecular biology, neurogenetics/genomics, imaging/optics, sleep/circadian biology, and Drosophila tumorigenesis models is preferred. Outstanding candidates should have a strong interest in sleep and circadian biology research and a strong interest in developing research skills using multidisciplinary approaches. Our research will train broad skills in molecular biology, Drosophila genetics, genomics and bioinformatics, metabolic analyses, instrumentation, high throughput behavioral analyses, immunohistochemical techniques, and in vivo functional imaging using two-photon microscopy.

Texas A&M University, one of the US’s largest public institutions is located at College Station, Texas, which is within easy driving distance to Houston, Austin, Dalla and San Antonio. College Station, as a high-tech research area, has a rapidly growing population and has been ranked No. 3 on Forbes’ list of the best small U.S. places for business and careers and one of the nation’s top 10 cities for families.

Please email wli01@tamu.edu with a cover letter, CV and contact information for 2-3 references.

Competitive salary and benefits, including health insurance and retirement benefit, will be offered according to Texas A&M University and NIH guidelines.

1. Li W., Wang Z., Syed S., Lyu C., Lincoln S., O’Neil J., Nguyen A., Feng I., Young M.W. (2021) Chronic social isolation signals starvation and reduces sleep in Drosophila. Nature, 597(7875):239-244

Highlighted in Levine J.D. (2021) Chronically lonely flies overeat and lose sleep. News and Views, Nature