Principal Investigator Dr. Volkan Ergin is seeking a Postdoctoral Fellow to join the Ergin Lab in the Department of Otolaryngology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
Effective gene therapies require both efficient delivery vehicles and well-designed therapeutic cargos. The Ergin Lab addresses these challenges by engineering next-generation AAV vectors for targeted gene delivery to cochlear cell populations and developing innovative genetic cargo designs for inherited and acquired forms of hearing loss.
A substantial portion of this role involves hands-on animal research, including mouse models of acquired hearing loss, cochlear microsurgery, therapeutic delivery, and auditory functional testing. The position offers a unique opportunity to gain expertise across multiple disciplines, spanning gene therapy, synthetic biology, high-throughput screenings, and translational therapeutic development.
Dr. Ergin brings experience from both academia and industry, providing valuable mentorship for trainees interested in academic careers, industry positions, or entrepreneurial ventures. Postdoctoral fellows will be encouraged to pursue independent funding opportunities, including NIH K99/R00 awards and other career development mechanisms.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities
Interested candidates should submit:
CV
A cover letter describing previous research experience, particularly in inner ear research, and outlining long-term career goals
Since its beginning in 1902, Cedars-Sinai has evolved to meet the healthcare needs of one of the most diverse regions in the nation, continually setting new standards for quality and innovation in patient care, research, teaching and community service.
Today, Cedars-Sinai is widely known for its national leadership in transforming healthcare for the benefit of patients.
Cedars-Sinai receives consistent recognition for our excellence. Our awards include; being named one of America’s Best Hospitals by U.S. News & World Report, receiving the National Research Corporation’s Consumer Choice Award 19 years in a row for providing the highest-quality medical care in Los Angeles, achieving the longest-running Magnet designation for nursing excellence in California, and being recognized as The Advisory Board Company’s 2017 Workplace of the Year, an award Cedars-Sinai has won three years in a row. This annual award recognizes hospitals and health systems nationwide that have outstanding levels of employee engagement.
Cedars-Sinai is a leader in the clinical care and research of heart disease, cancer and brain disorders, among other areas. Pioneering research achievements include using cardiac stem cells to repair damaged hearts, developing minimally invasive surgical techniques and discovering new types of drugs to target cancer more precisely.
Cedars-Sinai also impacts the future of healthcare through education programs that encompass everything from highly competitive medical residency and fellowship programs to a biomedical science and translational medicine PhD program, advanced training for nurses and educational opportunities for allied health professionals. Most notably, Cedars-Sinai demonstrates a longstanding commitment to strengthening the Los Angeles community through wide-ranging programs that improve the health of its most vulnerable residents.
