The Eric Lai lab at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center seeks a computational biologist to work closely with experimentalists to decipher post-transcriptional mechanisms and their in vivo biological impacts. We use both Drosophila and mammalian models, and there are active exchanges of ideas between dry and wet lab members to interpret genomic data and use these to design new tests that can inform the breadth and consequences of novel RNA pathways.
The ideal candidate will be familiar with analyzing and integrating multiple types of genomic data (e.g. small RNA, RNA-seq, scRNA-seq, CLIP-seq, RNA modifications, etc), and analyze with respect to the rich comparative genomic and population data available for Drosophila, mouse and human. We utilize existing genomics analysis tools and statistical frameworks, but many regulatory paradigms we are uncovering require custom scripts and pipelines to reveal novel genes, isoforms, and regulatory networks. The candidate will integrate into several projects in RNA biology, including novel mechanisms of miRNA biogenesis, control of tissue-specific alternative polyadenylation, and in vivo regulation by m6A/RNA methylation.
We have an interactive, supportive, and collaborative team engaged in diverse RNA topics, and the Sloan Kettering Institute provides a vibrant research community that promotes inclusivity and diversity. Funded position with subsidized nearby housing and medical benefits is available immediately. Please provide CV, motivation letter and references to Eric Lai, laie [at] mskcc.org.
https://www.sloankettering.edu/research-areas/labs/eric-lai
Recent papers on miRNA regulation and function
Jee, D., J.-S. Yang, S. M. Park, D.'J. Farmer, J. Wen, T. Chou, A. Chow, M. T. McManus, M. G. Kharas and E. C. Lai (2018). Dual strategies for Argonaute2 Slicer-dependent miRNA biogenesis regulate erythropoiesis. Molecular Cell 69: 265-278.
Vedanayagam J., W. K. Chatila, B. A. Aksoy, S. Majumdar, A. J. Skanderup, E. Demir, N. Schultz, C. Sander and E. C. Lai (2019). Cancer-associated mutations in DICER1 RNase IIIa and IIIb domains exert similar effects on miRNA biogenesis. Nature Communications 10: 3682. doi:10.1038/s41467-019-11610-1.
Shang, R., S. Baek, K. Kim, B. Kim, V. N. Kim, and E. C. Lai (2020). Genomic clustering aids nuclear processing of suboptimal pri-miRNA loci. Molecular Cell 78: 303-316.
Recent papers on APA mechanism and biology
Wei, L., S. Lee, S. Majumdar, B. Zhang, P. Sanfilippo, B. Joseph, P. Miura, M. Soller and E. C. Lai (2020). Overlapping Activities of ELAV/Hu Family RNA Binding Proteins Specify the Extended Neuronal 3' UTR Landscape in Drosophila. Molecular Cell 80: 140-155.
Garaulet, D.L., B. Zhang, L. Wei, E. Li, and E. C. Lai (2020). A post-transcriptional regulatory circuit specifies the virgin behavioral state. Developmental Cell 54: 410-423.
Lee, S., B. Zhang, L. Wei, R. Goering, S. Majumdar, J. M. Taliaferro, and E. C. Lai (2021). ELAV/Hu RNA binding proteins determine multiple neural alternative splicing programs. PLoS Genetics 17(4):e1009439.
Recent papers on m6A/RNA modification
Kan, L., A. V. Grozhik, J. Vedanayagam, D. P. Patil, N. Pang, K.-S. Lim, Y.-C. Huang, B. Joseph, C.-J. Lin, V. Despic, J. Guo, D. Yan, S. Kondo, W.-M. Deng, P. C. Dedon, S. R. Jaffrey and E. C. Lai (2017). The m6A pathway facilitates sex determination in Drosophila. Nature Communications 8: 15737, 1-16.
Kan, L., S. Ott, B. Joseph, E.S. Park., C. Dai, R. E. Kleiner, A. Claridge-Chang, and E. C. Lai (2021). A neural m6A/YTHDF pathway is required for learning and memory in Drosophila. Nature Communications 12(1):1458. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-21537-1.
