Fully funded postdoctoral position is available in the Bajpai lab at University of Southern California.

Candidates with expertise in either developmental biology or human pluripotent stem cell biology or bioinformatics are encouraged to apply. Our lab is trying to understand the fundamental mechanisms that regulate cell fate choices during differentiation, development and reprogramming. Our primary focus is defining the chromatin-associated changes that accompany cell fate transitions and understanding the genetic and molecular mechanisms governing them. We use a multipronged approach involving human pluripotent stem cell differentiation into neural precursors and neural crest cells (using methods that we developed and extensively characterized), model organisms (Xenopus, Zebrafish or mouse depending on the specific question being addressed) and bioinformatics (for genome-wide assessment of histone modifications, chromatin remodeler and transcription factor binding, open or closed chromatin status and proteomics of chromatin associated complexes).
Options for independent or team-based projects are available. Interested candidates should be capable of driving their part of the project in an independent manner and should be eager to incorporate new ideas and techniques into their work by either learning from collaborators or developing new techniques.For further information please contact rbajpai@usc.edu with an updated CV, statement of future goals and contact information for three references.

1. Rada-Iglesias A*, Bajpai R*, Prescott S., Swigut T and Wysocka J. Epigenomic annotation of enhancer elements provides insights into the regulatory circuitry of human neural crest. Cell Stem Cell, 2012 Epub, ahead of print Sep 13, 10.1016/j.stem.2012.07.006)
* :equal contribution;
2. Bajpai R, Chen DA, Rada-Iglesias A, Zhang J, Xiong Y, Helms J, Chang CP, Zhao Y, Swigut T, Wysocka J. CHD7 cooperates with PBAF to control multipotent neural crest formation. Nature. 2010 Feb 18; 463(7283): 958-62. [Epub ahead of print Feb3, 2010] PMID: 20130577