Endowed Chair in Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology I
Massachusetts Medical Device Development Center
Health Informatics And Implementation Science
Biostatistics And Health Services Research
Elisabeth Chair for the Dean of Medicine
Penelope Booth Rockwell Chair in Biomedical Research
Focus: Adeno-associated virus vector mediated gene transfer for gene therapy, gene therapy of inherited neurodegenerative Canavan Disease
Lab rotations are currently available in this lab. Please contact Dr. Kim.
My research for almost 30 years has focused on obesity, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes and explores the molecular link between inflammation and insulin resistance using transgenic mice with elegant in vivo metabolic experiments and molecular approaches. My research also investigates the role of inflammation and altered metabolism in diabetic heart disease.
Timothy S. and Elaine L. Peterson Chair in Rheumatology
Worcester Foundation for Biomedical Research Chair III
Please email Kate.Fitzgerald@umassmed.edu if you are interested in rotations.
Isadore and Fannie Foxman Chair in Medical Research
A postdoctoral position is available to study in this laboratory. Contact Dr. Czech for additional details.
Mentoring……………………………………………………………………………………………………… The Czech laboratory is active in mentoring graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Many former student and postdoctoral trainees of the Czech laboratory are now internationally recognized professors at major universities and medical schools. These former lab members include: Paul Pilch, Professor of Biochemistry, Boston University School of Medicine Jeffrey Pessin, Professor and Director of the Diabetes Center, Einstein College of Medicine Joan Massague, Director, Sloan Kettering Institute Roger Davis, HHMI investigator and Professor of Molecular Medicine, UMASS Medical School Silvia Corvera, Professor of Molecular Medicine, Co-Director of the MD/PhD Program, UMASS Medical School Carla Greenbaum, Vice Chair and Director of Clinical Research, Benaroya Research Institute Jes Klarlund, Professor of Ophthalmology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Rob Lewis, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Eppley Cancer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center Richard MacDonald, Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Eppley Cancer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center Assia Shisheva, Professor of Physiology, Wayne State School of Medicine. Mark Sleeman, Professor of Physiology, Monash University, Australia John Harris, Associate Professor of Medicine, UMASS Medical School Zhen Jiang, Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Medicine, Boston University Vishu Puri, Professor of Biomedical Sciences, Ohio University Olga Gupta, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Tim Fitzgibbons, Assistant Professor of Medicine, UMASS Medical School Myriam Aouadi, Assistant Professor, Integrated Cardio Metabolic Centre, Karolinska Institute Adilson Guilherme, Associate Professor, University of Massachusetts Medical School Our laboratory currently offers graduate student Rotation Projects (examples below and others available) and Thesis Research Projects for students following a rotation: Developing CRISPR technology for gene editing in adipocytes: Adipocytes function as master regulators of whole body metabolism and deletions of specific adipocyte genes in knockout mice promote dramatic improvements in glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity in diabetic models. Thus the ability to direct gene editing in adipocytes in vivo has great potential in developing therapeutic strategies for obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular complications. Alternatively, an ex vivo approach is also feasible since adipose cells can be genetically altered in vitro prior to implantation into mice with beneficial effects. Such projects are designed to be performed in collaboration with other Czech lab members with the goal of specifically deleting or editing genes in adipose depots that drive increases in fatty acid oxidation, energy expenditure and systemic metabolic activity. Exciting preliminary data at the “proof of principle” stage has been achieved and this project is designed to focus on specific genes of high interest for therapeutics. Signaling by the lipogenesis pathway through Acetyl CoA: A major function of adipocytes is to store calories as triglyceride, in part through the process of fatty acid synthesis (lipogenesis). This metabolic pathway involves a number of metabolites including Acetyl CoA, which is also a substrate for acetylation reactions that modify proteins such as histones. Thus metabolic flux through adipocyte lipogenesis may also function as a signaling pathway to the nucleus to modulate transcription via levels of Acetyl CoA that accumulate during this process. This rotation project is designed to test this idea at the molecular level by monitoring histone acetylations and resultant transcriptional events during changes in Acetyl CoA levels caused by altering physiological conditions such as exercise, obesity and diabetes. If this concept is correct, the project could lead to developing therapeutic strategies for metabolic disease based on targeting lipogenic enzymes.
Focus: AAV vector technology and AAV-mediated miRNA therapeutics
LAB ROTATION PROJECTS AVAILABLE -- PLEASE CONTACT SAM BEHAR FOR MORE INFORMATION
Focus: We seek to understand how the causative agent of tuberculosis, namely the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis evades host immunity, and how different components of the immune response work together to contain infection. Our ultimate goal is to inform vaccine development and the design of host directed therapy.
Immediate opening! Two postdoctoral positions are available immediately to study cellular andmolecular mechanisms resulting in immunosuppression after alcohol use. Thefocus of this research is the role of monocytes and dendritic cells indecreased antigen-specific T cell activation after alcohol use.Intracellular signalling mechanisms resulting in decreased NF-kBactivation and inflammatory cytokine induction after acute alcoholconsumption are being investigated. Please contact Dr. Szabo for details.
Additional information about lab rotations within the CPHR program can be found athttp://www.umassmed.edu/cphr/program/rotations.aspx
Postdoctoral Fellow Applications are being accepted for one position. A position is available to develop Cys2His2 zinc finger proteins (ZFPs) for the treatment of monogenic disorders. This project will focus on the creation of ZFPs with novel DNA-binding specificity to recognize sequence elements within genomic loci of therapeutic interest. In collaboration with other laboratories, we will evaluate the activity of these ZFP-based gene therapy reagents in vitro and in vivo in relevant disease models. Applicants will also have the opportunity to learn to apply Cas9 and Cas12a editing systems in vivo.
Potential Rotation Projects Improving the Precision of CRISPR/Cas9 nucleases for gene therapy applications: We are working to improve the precision of the CRISPR/Cas9 system to generate nucleases that will cleave at only a single site in the genome. These engineering efforts focus on increasing the DNA-editing precision of Cas9 and using protein engineering to introduce new properties into the nuclease. Much of this work is now transitioning to the use of Cas9 (and Cas12a) protein-RNA complexes. These modified nucleases will then be applied to patient derived cell-culture systems for the targeted repair or inactivation of disease-causing alleles. With the eventual goal of creating therapeutics for Sickle Cell Disease, beta-Thalassemia, HIV, Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy, Hermansky Pudlak Syndrome and other monogenic disorders. ex vivo genome editing in CD34+ HSPCs: We are developing improved Cas9 proteins for delivery ex vivo into CD34+ HSPCs for therapeutic application to sickle cell disease and beta-thalassemia. The goal is to modify the hematopoietic stem cells of a patient to complement the loss of function of the beta-globin gene and then return these cells to the patient through an autologous transplant. Development of Cys2His2 Zinc fingers proteins (ZFPs) as targeted therapeutics: We are developing artificial ZFPs for the regulation of target genes to change their gene expression profiles for therapeutic applications.
Distinguished Professor and Chair Emeritus
I am a physician-researcher and educator in the Division of Rheumatology. My interests are rheumatoid arthritis, musculoskeletal sonography, and clinical informatics. I am the founding co-director of the UMass Inflammatory Arthritis Program, focused on leveraging digital technology to optimize patient capture and developing innovative care models, specifically remote patient monitoring.
A postdoc opening is available to participate in the development of functional biomaterials for skeletal tissue regeneration focusing on immune regulation and inflammation resolution. The fellow is expected to work both independently and collaboratively, and contribute to a productive and cordial team environment. Salary follows NIH postdoctoral fellowship compensation guideline. Requirements: • Recent PhD in Chemical Biology, Bioengineering, Biology, or Polymer Science • Expertise in examining cell-material interactions (e.g. immune cell regulations, stem cell lineage commitment) OR synthesis and characterization of functional biomaterials expected • Experience with animal studies desired but not required • Self-motivated and organized, good written and oral communication skills. To apply for this position: Send your CV and the contact information for three references to Jie.Song@umassmed.edu
Potential Rotation Projects Degradable viscoelastic synthetic hydrogels for therapeutic cell delivery Prophylactic implant coatings against periprosthetic infections Shape memory polymer-based composite bone grafts
Focus: Virology and vectorology of adeno-associated viruses
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan 2016 Jan.- 2017 Nov. Mentor: Peter X.K. Song, Ph.D. Research in developing Bayesian Newton's Growth Models (NGMs) in the ELEMENT study. Collaboration with Dr. Bin Zhu. Research in developing statistical methods for estimating sleep duration from actigraphy data in the Early Life Exposures in Mexico to ENvironmental Toxicants (ELEMENT) study. Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Epidemiology, University of Michigan 2015 Jan. -2015 Dec. Mentor: Lynda D. Lisabeth, Ph.D. Research in epidemiological data analyses in the Brain Attack Surveillance In Corpus Christi (BASIC) project. Research in developing statistical models to investigate built environment association with BMI in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). Collaboration with Dr. Brisa N. Sanchez. Research in Bayesian spatial modeling of a binary outcome with spatially varying coecients in neuro-imaging data. Collaboration with Dr. Timothy D. Johnson.
We are looking for motivated postdoctoral researchers. Send in your application and get in touch today!
- AAV gene therapy for genetic diseases - Therapeutic genome editing - RNA-based approaches to treating genetic diseases - Interactions between AAV vector and host cell - AAV vector capsid engineering
Dr. John Meyers Professor in Primary Care Medicine
Population and Quantitative Health Sciences
DISTINGUISHED PROFESSOR AND CHAIR EMERITUS
Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology
National Mouse Metabolic Phenotyping Center
Healthcare Delivery and Population Sciences at UMass Chan - Baystate
Post Doc - Open Rank Job Number: 2025-48103 Category: Research Location: Worcester, MA Shift: Day Exempt/Non-Exempt: Exempt Business Unit: UMass Chan Medical School Department: School - Rheumatology - W710085 Job Type: Full-Time Salary Grade: 86 Union Code: Non Union Position-W63-Residents/Post Docs Num. Openings: 1 Post Date: May 26, 2025 https://www.ummsjobs.com/job/11019/ The Sato Lab at UMass Med is seeking an enthusiastic postdoctoral fellow to join our team at the forefront of gene editing and cell therapy research. Our research group is focusing on elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying rare diseases and autoimmune disorders. Through innovative approaches such as gene editing and cell therapy, we aim to develop novel therapeutic strategies to combat these conditions and improve patient outcomes. Project Highlights: Utilize CRISPR gene editing techniques Engineer and explore gene/cell therapies for disease treatment Investigate the genetic basis of rare skeletal and connective tissue diseases Unravel mechanisms underlying autoimmune disorders Interested candidates should submit a CV or resume, a cover letter with a short description outlining research interests and relevant experience, and contact information for three references to tadatoshi.sato@umassmed.edu. Please indicate the position you are applying for in the subject line.
Joseph D. Early Chair in Biomedical Research