Postdoctoral research fellows (Dr. Zhixun Dou group, Massachussets General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, USA)
Dr. Zhixun Dou laboratory in Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School is looking for postdoctoral research fellows. The laboratory investigates the biology of aging and aims to develop new strategies to suppress aging and cancer.
Research topics in the laboratory include cellular senescence, nuclear autophagy, chromatin and epigenetics, inflammation and infection, in the broad scenarios of aging and cancer. Examples of our studies include:
• Wang Y,… Dou Z. WSTF nuclear autophagy regulates chronic but not acute inflammation. Nature. 2025
• Kumazawa T, …Dou Z. Metformin inhibits nuclear egress of chromatin fragments in senescence and aging. Nature Aging. 2026
• Dou Z, et al. Cytoplasmic chromatin triggers inflammation in senescence and cancer. Nature. 2017.
• Dou Z, et al. Autophagy mediates degradation of nuclear lamina. Nature. 2015.
The laboratory is part of the Cancer Center at MGH and Harvard. Boston offers unique opportunities for scientific growth and interactions in a highly collaborative and dynamic environment.
Successful candidates should have a Ph.D. or M.D. degree in the field of biology or medicine and are expected to demonstrate a track record of research achievements and have excellent English communication skills. Please contact Dr. Dou with a cover letter, CV, and contact information for three references. Visit zdoulab.org for more details.
2 Postdoctoral positions on Autophagy and Metabolism (McWilliams group, University of Helsinki, Finland)
The McWilliams Lab investigates physiological autophagy, a membrane-driven lysosomal degradation pathway essential for cell, circuit and tissue homeostasis. Impairments in autophagy and lysosomal function are causally linked to neurodegeneration and age-related pathology. We use integrative multiscale approaches to define the mechanistic interplay between autophagy and metabolism and determine how this relationship impacts neural integrity in health and disease. Our ultimate goal is to identify new therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative diseases.
About Us
We work at the interface of discovery and translation within a well-resourced and internationally connected research environment. The PI is a Scholar of the FENS-Kavli Network of Excellence, and the lab is embedded in the Novo Nordisk Foundation EnergAge Consortium for Metabolic Aging and SWAN-Helsinki, with access to state-of-the-art instrumentation and core facilities. We value scientific rigor and a collaborative working culture.
The opportunity
We are recruiting two Postdoctoral Researchers to advance ambitious projects that dissect the molecular logic of circuit and tissue integrity. The projects build on our recent advances in brain aging (Rappe et al., The EMBO Journal, 2024), metabolic regulation (Long et al., The EMBO Journal, 2022), and human neurological disease (Collier et al., The New England Journal of Medicine, 2021). You will work with the PI and lab members to apply newly developed tools and leverage unpublished datasets to design and execute rigorous functional studies in vitro and in vivo. In addition to developing yourself scientifically within an internationally competitive environment, you will receive regular feedback and strategic mentoring to support research excellence, professional development, and preparation for your next career stage.
Application deadline: March 17th 2026