Job Description

A postdoctoral position is available in the laboratory of Dr. Dana T. Graves at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine, Department of Periodontics. The fellow will investigate mechanisms by which cellular senescence and inflammation interact to promote age-associated pathology. Prior research experience in cellular senescence is strongly preferred, particularly investigation of senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP), senolytics, p16/p21 pathways, or experimental identification and manipulation of senescent cells. The position integrates experimental biology with single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), 10x Genomics Xenium spatial transcriptomics, quantitative imaging, and molecular and cellular validation to define disease-associated cell states, signaling networks, and potential therapeutic targets.
Research Focus
The research program will examine how senescent cell states and inflammatory signaling contribute to age-associated periodontal pathology using a periodontal mouse model and human tissue validation. The fellow will participate in in vivo studies and analyses of scRNA-seq and 10x Genomics Xenium datasets to identify senescence- and inflammation-associated cell states, transcriptional programs, cell-cell communication networks, spatially organized cellular responses, and mechanisms that lead to greater bone resorption. A major emphasis will be the experimental characterization and manipulation of senescent cells and their signaling programs, SASP and p16/p21-associated pathways. The analyses will include pathway analysis, trajectory and pseudotime analysis, regulatory-network inference, and ligand-receptor analysis. Experimental studies will include genetically engineered mouse models, primary mouse and human cell cultures, molecular perturbation studies, histology, immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, quantitative image analysis, and other approaches used to validate computational findings and define mechanisms linking aging, senescence, inflammation, and altered tissue function.
Key Responsibilities
• Investigate molecular and cellular mechanisms linking senescence and inflammation to tissue dysfunction, repair, regeneration, and bone resorption using in vivo mouse models, including experimental approaches to identify, characterize, and manipulate senescent cells. Contribute to bioinformatic analyses of scRNA-seq and 10x Genomics Xenium spatial transcriptomic datasets.
• Develop and execute rigorous experimental approaches using in vivo, ex vivo, and/or in vitro models as appropriate to the project.
• Perform quality control, data integration, cell annotation, differential expression, pathway, trajectory, state-transition, and ligand-receptor analyses.
• Integrate transcriptomic findings with imaging, histologic, cellular, and phenotypic measurements.
• Use immunofluorescence and quantitative image analysis to characterize cellular localization, spatial distribution, and tissue organization.
• Develop rigorous, reproducible experimental and computational workflows.
• Interpret findings in biological and disease contexts and contribute to analytical and experimental strategy.
• Generate clear figures, present findings, and communicate effectively with computational and experimental collaborators.
• Prepare first-author manuscripts and contribute to grant development and collaborative studies.