Postdoctoral Research Fellow: Theranostic delivery systems of extracellular vesicles

An NIH-sponsored postdoctoral fellowship position is available in the Cellular Imaging Section, Institute for Cell Engineering and the Department of Radiology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. The fellowship is full-time for a minimum of two years with possible extension and/or career advancement depending on funding levels and performance. Salary level will conform to standard NIH and JHU pay scales.

Our research centers around the intersections of cell and extracellular vesicle-based therapy, nanomedicine and (bio)medical imaging. The laboratory is fully equipped for biological and imaging research with access to excellent facilities and state-of-art equipment.

Project Description

Transplantation of therapeutic cells holds great potential to cure or provide relief to various ailments. In many clinical cases, cell grafts either perished or ceased to function within a short period after transplantation. Our interest lies in pancreatic islet cell therapy which may achieve long-term blood glucose regulation in type 1 and advanced type 2 diabetic patients. However, clinical implementation of islet therapy has been proven to be challenging.

Among the myriad of strategies aimed to solve the issues in cell therapy, the use of extracellular vesicles (EVs) emerges as a promising way. EVs are lipid bilayer vesicles released from nearly all cell types that function as mediators of intercellular communication. Early results in the field of islet therapy have demonstrated that EVs enhanced survival and insulin secretion of islets. Nonetheless, there remains the challenges of EV delivery to and retention at the target sites that yield therapeutic outcomes. Our project aims to synthesize, optimize and validate theranostic (therapeutic and diagnostic functions in one platform) systems for effective delivery of EVs. EVs will be tracked using imaging systems in order to verify correct delivery to the target sites and to elucidate their pharmacokinetic profiles.

Qualifications

We are looking for a dedicated and creative scientist with the following qualifications:

• Ph.D. in Bioengineering, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry or related fields or will graduate within the next 3 months.
• Experiences in synthesis and testing of scaffolds, biomaterials and drug delivery systems.
• Preferred but not required experiences in cell cultures or preparation of extracellular vesicles.
• Must be willing to work with magnetic particle imaging, magnetic resonance imaging and mouse models.
• A strong publication track record.

Candidates are strongly encouraged to include a short description as to why they are interested in performing imaging studies. To apply, please submit your CV, a brief statement of research interest and career goals, as well as three reference letters to:

Dian R. Arifin, PhD

Assistant Professor

Institute for Cell Engineering

Division of MR Research, Dept. of Radiology

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Email: darifin1@jhmi.edu