What are the responsibilities and job description for the Postdoctoral Researcher position at University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill?
Posting Information
Posting Details
| Department | Lineberger Compr Cancer Center - 426801 |
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| Posting Open Date | 01/27/2026 |
| Application Deadline | |
| Open Until Filled | Yes |
| Position Type | Postdoctoral Scholar |
| Position Title | Postdoctoral Researcher |
| Vacancy ID | PDS004761 |
| Full-time/Part-time | Full-Time Temporary |
| Hours per week | 40 |
| FTE | 1 |
| Work Location | Chapel Hill, NC |
| Position Location | North Carolina, US |
| Hiring Range | Dependent on Experience/Qualifications |
| Proposed Start Date | |
| Estimated Duration of Appointment | 12 Months |
Position Information
| Be a Tar Heel! | 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. |
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| Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit | 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. |
| Position Summary | Postdoctoral fellows will conduct research in the areas of Cancer Epigenomics and Single-Cell Technology development and application to advance cancer research. The Xu Lab investigates heterogeneous transcriptional regulation in cancer through three integrated directions: (1) developing cost-effective single-cell multi-modal technologies to track regulatory evolution across tumor progression; (2) defining epigenetic mechanisms that drive diverse cancer and immune cell behaviors and therapeutic responses, using our innovative approaches such as Paired-TF to link regulatory programs with transcriptional outcomes; and (3) dissecting transcriptional silencer regulation in oncogenesis through large-scale perturbation and single-cell profiling to uncover novel therapeutic targets. We offer exceptional opportunities for postdocs to take strong leadership and ownership of projects, receive close mentorship, and help shape innovative research directions. Postdoctoral researchers will lead research projects, with specialization in either wet-lab experimentation on multi omics or dry-lab bioinformatic and computational analysis, present their work at international conferences, prepare research manuscripts, and participate in grant applications when appropriate. |
| Minimum Education and Experience Requirements | Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences, Biochemical and Cellular Sciences, Genetics and Genomics, Bioinformatics, or a related field (degree must be conferred before the start date). |
| Required Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience | * For wet-lab applicants: Ph.D.-level training and research experience in genomics, genetics, or multi-omics is preferred. Experience with genome editing technologies such as CRISPR is a plus. * For dry-lab applicants: Ph.D.-level training and research experience in analyzing multi-omics next-generation sequencing data is required * Strong proficiency in written and spoken English. * Demonstrated research productivity with at least one representative publication or preprint. |
| Preferred Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience | . |
| Special Physical/Mental Requirements | . |
| Special Instructions | For information on UNC Postdoctoral Benefits and Services click here
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| Quick Link | https://unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/312530 |
Posting Contact Information
| Department Contact Name and Title | Briana Marini, HR Team Lead |
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| Department Contact Telephone or Email | briana_marini@med.unc.edu |
| Postdoctoral Affairs Contact Information | 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. |
| Equal Opportunity Employer Statement | 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. |
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or status as a protected veteran.