Postdoctoral Scholar - Department of Comparative Pathobiology

The Department of Comparative Pathobiology supports the missions of Tufts University and Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University through a culture of approachability that fosters professional growth and collaboration. We do this while providing foundational veterinary medical education, graduate training, diagnostic pathology expertise, and opportunities across our diverse research programs.

This position will serve under the Vassoler lab. Additional details about the lab can be found here: https://sites.tufts.edu/vassolerlab/

This is a limited-term and grant-funded position through August 24, 2029. It may be extended depending on grant funding.

The Vassoler lab is in search of a Postdoctoral Research Position who will assist in research to uncover Transgenerational Mechanisms of Opioid Addiction.

This postdoctoral position will investigate the molecular mechanisms by which paternal opioid exposure alters addiction-related behaviors in subsequent generations. The research will build on our established rat model demonstrating increased oxycodone self-administration in offspring of males exposed to morphine during adolescence and will focus on the role of sperm microRNAs, particularly the conserved let-7 family, in mediating these transgenerational effects. The overarching goal is to determine how opioid exposure produces persistent molecular changes in the germline that influence brain function and addiction susceptibility in offspring.

Projects will utilize complementary behavioral, molecular, and genomic approaches.

The postdoctoral researcher will investigate opioid self-administration and related behavioral phenotypes in F1 and F2 offspring, examine mu opioid receptor expression in brain regions including the nucleus accumbens and ventral tegmental area, and manipulate let-7 levels in sperm to directly test its role in transmission of the phenotype. Additional projects will characterize opioid-induced changes in the sperm miRNA profile using small RNA sequencing and investigate spatially restricted changes in gene expression within the testis using GeoMX digital spatial profiling. A translational component of the research will examine sperm miRNA expression in men with and without a history of drug exposure.

The successful candidate will have opportunities to develop expertise in behavioral neuroscience, animal models of substance use disorder, molecular biology, epigenetics, small RNA sequencing, and spatial transcriptomic approaches.

The position will also involve data analysis, preparation of manuscripts and presentations, mentoring of trainees, and development of independent research questions and strategies.

The postdoctoral position is full-time and is located at Tufts University's Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine in North Grafton, Massachusetts.

The position provides an opportunity to work within a collaborative research environment and to develop an independent research program at the intersection of addiction neuroscience, epigenetics, and transgenerational inheritance.

Basic Requirements:

• A PhD or equivalent doctoral degree in neuroscience, pharmacology, biology, or a related field is required.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with rodent behavioral models, molecular biology, neuroscience, or bioinformatics is preferred.