Job Description
Principal Investigator Dr. Volkan Ergin is seeking a Postdoctoral Fellow to join the Ergin Lab in the Department of Otolaryngology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
Effective gene therapies require both efficient delivery vehicles and well-designed therapeutic cargos. The Ergin Lab addresses these challenges by engineering next-generation AAV vectors for targeted gene delivery to cochlear cell populations and developing innovative genetic cargo designs for inherited and acquired forms of hearing loss.
A substantial portion of this role involves hands-on animal research, including mouse models of acquired hearing loss, cochlear microsurgery, therapeutic delivery, and auditory functional testing. The position offers a unique opportunity to gain expertise across multiple disciplines, spanning gene therapy, synthetic biology, high-throughput screenings, and translational therapeutic development.
Dr. Ergin brings experience from both academia and industry, providing valuable mentorship for trainees interested in academic careers, industry positions, or entrepreneurial ventures. Postdoctoral fellows will be encouraged to pursue independent funding opportunities, including NIH K99/R00 awards and other career development mechanisms.
Primary Duties and Responsibilities
- Perform mouse breeding, colony management, husbandry, and experimental planning.
- Conduct cochlear surgeries, therapeutic delivery, cochlear dissections, tissue preparation, and phenotypic analyses in adult mice.
- Perform cochlear injection techniques in adult mice, including round window membrane (RWM) injection and canalostomy.
- Conduct functional hearing testing, including Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR) and Distortion Product Otoacoustic Emissions (DPOAE).
- Analyze, interpret, and present experimental findings.
Qualifications
- PhD, MD, MD/PhD, VMD, or equivalent doctoral degree in a relevant field.
- Research experience in inner ear biology and hearing research.
- Experience working with mouse models under IACUC-approved protocols.
- Experience performing functional hearing assessments, including ABR and DPOAE.
- Hands-on experience with cochlear injection techniques.
- Demonstrated ability to design experiments, analyze data, and communicate scientific findings effectively.
- Experience with noise-induced, age-related, or ototoxicity-induced hearing loss models is desirable.
Interested candidates should submit:
CV
A cover letter describing previous research experience, particularly in inner ear research, and outlining long-term career goals
Our compensation philosophy
We offer competitive total compensation that includes pay, benefits, and other recognition programs for our employees. The base pay range shown above takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including knowledge/skills; relevant experience and training; education/certifications/licensure; and other business and organizational factors. This base pay range does not include our comprehensive benefits package and any incentive payments that may be applicable to this role. Pay Transparency Non Discrimination Provision (PDF) (opens in new window)
Diversity and Inclusion at Cedars-Sinai
We are caretakers and innovators committed to the pursuit of equitable healthcare. But health equity is not possible without representation. Our commitment to diversity goes beyond demographics or checking boxes. Our people must reflect the diverse identities, experiences and geographies of the communities and patients we serve – because that’s what our patients, colleagues and communities deserve. Quality Care and Research—For All, By All (opens in new window).
Cedars-Sinai is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.
Cedars-Sinai does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of the race, religion, color, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, physical or mental disability, legally protected medical condition (cancer-related or genetic characteristics or any genetic information), marital status, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, age (40 or older), military and/or veteran status or any other basis protected by federal or state law. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact us by email at Applicant_Accommodation@cshs.org and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information. Requests for accommodation will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Please note that only inquiries concerning a request for reasonable accommodation will be responded to from this email address.
Cedars-Sinai will consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories, in accordance with the Los Angeles Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring.
At Cedars-Sinai, we are dedicated to the safety, health and wellbeing of our patients and employees. This includes protecting our patients from communicable diseases, such as influenza (flu) and COVID-19. For this reason, we require that all new employees receive a flu vaccine based on the seasonal availability of flu vaccine (typically during September through April each year) as a condition of employment, and annually thereafter as a condition of continued employment, subject to medical exemption or religious accommodation. For the same reason, you may also be required to receive other vaccines such as COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Cedars-Sinai reserves the right to make modifications to its required list of vaccines as required by law and/or policy. Cedars-Sinai’s AA Policy Statement (PDF) (opens in new window)