Open Postdoctoral position, faculty mentor Sohail Husain

Position Overview and Scientific Vision
The laboratory of Dr. Sohail Husain in the Stanford Pediatric Exocrine Pancreas Program seeks an exceptional Postdoctoral Scholar to lead hypothesis driven mechanistic research focused on how vitamin A signaling and transport regulate inflammation, tissue injury, and recovery in the exocrine pancreas.
Our overarching vision is to identify how vitamin A signals shape exocrine pancreatic health and systemic metabolism.
This position offers a distinctive opportunity to lead hypothesis driven mechanistic projects in vitamin A transport and transcriptional networks, integrating classic retinoid biology with lipid metabolism, inflammation, and translational human disease studies. The successful candidate will join a highly interdisciplinary and collaborative research environment that combines animal models, molecular and cellular biology, advanced omics, and well characterized clinical cohorts.
This work builds directly on foundational discoveries from our group, including a 2023 Science Translational Medicine publication by Cheng Yu Tsai et al. identifying a protective role for vitamin A in asparaginase associated pancreatitis, which motivates ongoing and expanded mechanistic investigation in the laboratory.

Example Research Directions
The postdoctoral scholar will have flexibility to shape projects aligned with their expertise and interests. Representative areas include:
• Dissecting RAR RXR mediated transcriptional programs that regulate pancreatic inflammation and tissue injury
• Defining mechanisms of retinol transport involving RBP4, STRA6, and TTR in pancreatic epithelial and stellate cell populations
• Linking vitamin A metabolism and storage to lipid biology, immune activation, and clinically relevant biomarkers of disease severity
These projects emphasize mechanistic rigor, experimental leadership, and translational relevance.

Core Experimental Approaches
Depending on project focus, the postdoctoral scholar will engage in techniques such as:
• Molecular and cellular biology, including gene perturbation and reporter assays
• Mouse models of pancreatitis and inflammation
• Primary cell culture and tissue based analyses
• Transcriptional profiling, including bulk and single cell RNA sequencing
• Metabolomics and lipidomics relevant to retinoid biology
• Quantitative retinoid measurements performed through Stanford shared core facilities and established collaborative platforms
• Integration of experimental findings with human clinical samples
Access to Stanford’s extensive shared resources strongly supports these efforts, including genomics, lipidomics, metabolomics, retinoid analytical cores, microscopy, animal facilities, and biostatistical support cores.

Responsibilities
• Design and execute innovative mechanistic studies in retinoid biology and pancreatitis
• Lead and interpret data from genetic models, organ physiology, and omics based experiments
• Collaborate across disciplines, including translational projects involving human cohorts
• Prepare manuscripts for publication in high impact journals
• Present findings at internal seminars and national and international scientific conferences
• Promote grant submissions and future independent research directions
The laboratory is strongly committed to supporting publication, conference travel, and postdoctoral career development.

Appointment Details
This is a full time Postdoctoral Scholar appointment through the Stanford Office of Postdoctoral Affairs. Appointment duration is consistent with Stanford norms, with renewal contingent on performance and funding availability. The expected base pay is at least the Stanford University required minimum for postdoctoral scholars. The FY26 minimum is $76,383 per year.

Visa and Eligibility
Stanford University is committed to international scholarship and will sponsor work visas consistent with institutional policy. Eligibility will follow Stanford postdoctoral appointment guidelines, including completion of doctoral training prior to appointment.