Post-Doc Research Associate

A global higher education leader in innovative teaching, research and public service, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill consistently ranks as one of the nation's top public universities and is among is the top ten research universities in the nation for federal research expenditures as well as for federally funded social and behavioral sciences research and development.

Here at Carolina, our highly skilled postdocs play a vital role in our research enterprise and towards our overall commitment to research excellence. Across many disciplines, postdocs contribute to the intellectual vitality of the University. They provide innovative ideas and perspectives, foster a stimulating research environment and advance knowledge within their fields. Postdocs are crucial members of our scientific research workforce, contributors to our research outputs and an important reason why Carolina is one of the leading public research institutions in the country.

UNC-Chapel Hill offers postdocs comprehensive medical and vision coverage, paid leave, and benefits and services that support professional development and a healthy work/life balance. Chapel Hill regularly ranks as one of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, a reputation guided by the diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community.

Our mission is to improve the health and well-being of North Carolinians and others whom we serve. We accomplish this by providing leadership and excellence in the interrelated areas of patient care, education and research.

Patient care: We promote health and provide superb clinical care while maintaining our strong tradition of reaching underserved populations and reducing health disparities across North Carolina and beyond.

Education: We prepare tomorrow`s healthcare professionals and biomedical researchers from all backgrounds by facilitating learning within innovative and integrated curricula and team-oriented interprofessional education to ensure a highly skilled workforce.

Research: We develop and support a rich array of outstanding health sciences research programs, centers and resources. We provide infrastructure and opportunities for collaboration among disciplines throughout and beyond our university to support outstanding research. We foster programs in the areas of basic, translational, mechanistic and population research.

The Brunk Lab at UNC-Chapel Hill seeks a computational postdoctoral researcher to develop and apply methods for integrating single-cell sequencing and imaging data within controlled cell-line model systems. The project focuses on vertical integration of multimodal single-cell datasets, including single-cell DNA copy number, RNA expression, chromatin accessibility, protein abundance, protein localization, and cytogenetic imaging. The postdoctoral researcher will help build computational frameworks that connect sequencing-based measurements with imaging-derived single-cell features, including multiplexed protein imaging and AI-assisted cytogenetic image analysis. This position is central to a funded research program developing single-cell integration frameworks and AI imaging tools to understand how genome structure and molecular state coordinate across individual cells. The grant includes single-cell multi-omics sequencing, 4i protein imaging, CITE-seq validation, and AI-based cytogenetic analysis.

Ph.D. in computational biology, bioinformatics, biostatistics, computer science, genomics, systems biology, biomedical engineering, quantitative biology, or a related field.

Strong programming skills in Python and/or R.
Experience analyzing high-dimensional biological data, especially single-cell sequencing data.
Strong statistical and quantitative reasoning skills.
Ability to work independently and collaboratively in an interdisciplinary environment.
Excellent written and oral communication skills.

Experience with one or more of the following areas is strongly preferred:
Single-cell RNA-seq, single-cell ATAC-seq, CITE-seq, single-cell DNA copy number, or multi-omics integration.
Computational analysis of microscopy, multiplexed immunofluorescence, spatial/protein imaging, or image-derived single-cell phenotypes.
Machine learning, latent variable modeling, variational autoencoders, optimal transport, graph-based integration, or related computational approaches.
Experience with tools such as Seurat, Scanpy, scVI, ArchR, Signac, Cell Ranger, Cell Ranger ARC, Harmony, LIGER, MOFA, or related packages.
Experience with image-analysis tools or libraries such as CellProfiler, napari, ImageJ/Fiji, scikit-image, Cellpose, PyTorch, TensorFlow, or similar.

For information on UNC Postdoctoral Benefits and Services click here

If you experience any problems accessing the system or have questions about the application process, please contact the University's Office of Postdoctoral Affairs at (919) 962-9982 or send an email to opahr@unc.edu.

Please note: The Office of Postdoctoral Affairs will not be able to provide specific updates regarding position or application status.

The University is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all to apply without regard to age, color, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.