POSITION SUMMARY

Postdoctoral Researcher - Nutrient Signaling, Circadian Rhythms & Neurodegeneration

The Kapahi Lab at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging is recruiting two Postdoctoral Researchers to lead innovative projects exploring how circadian clocks and nutrient-responsive pathways influence eye and neuronal degeneration. These positions use bioinformatic and systems biology approaches to integrate findings from Drosophila and human data, with a focus on conserved mechanisms in aging and age-related disease.

Our lab uses a cross-disciplinary toolkit—genetics, pharmacology, biochemistry, and genomics—to understand how nutrition impacts the biology of aging. Model systems include C. elegans, D. melanogaster, and mammalian cells.

Why Join Us?

• Work in a highly collaborative, well-funded lab focused on translational aging research
• Access to state-of-the-art core facilities and rich model organism resources
• Strong mentorship with a track record of supporting K99/R00 applications
• Ideal for researchers seeking to transition to independent academic careers

PUBLICATIONS  

1. Bar S, Wilson KA, Dammer EB, Schilling B, Seyfried NT, Ellerby LM, Kapahi P. Neuronal glycogen breakdown exerts a neuroprotective effect in models of Alzheimer’s disease by enhancing flux through the pentose phosphate pathway. accepted Nat Metabolism 2025
2. Wilson KA, Bar S, Dammer EB, Carrera EM, Hodge BA, Hilsabeck TAU, Bons J, Brownridge GW 3rd, Beck JN, Rose J, Granath-Panelo M, Nelson CS, Qi G, Gerencser AA, Lan J, Afenjar A, Chawla G, Brem  RB, Campeau PM, Bellen HJ, Schilling B, Seyfried NT, Ellerby LM, Kapahi P. OXR1 maintains the retromer to delay brain aging under dietary restriction. Nat Commun. 2024 Jan 11;15(1):467. PMID: 38212606; PMCID: PMC10784588.
3. Longitudinal fundus imaging and its genome-wide association analysis provide evidence for a human retinal aging clock. Sara Ahadi, Kenneth A Wilson Jr, Boris Babenko, Cory Y McLean, Drew Bryant, Orion Pritchard, Ajay Kumar, Enrique M Carrera, Ricardo Lamy, Jay M Stewart, Avinash Varadarajan, Marc Berndl, Pankaj Kapahi, Ali Bashir. Elife. 2023 Mar 28; https://elifesciences.org/articles/82364
4. Dietary restriction and clock delay eye aging to extend lifespan in melanogaster. Hodge BA, Meyerhof GT, Katewa SD, Lian T, Lau C ,Bar S, Leung NY, Li M, Li-Kroeger D, Melov S, Schilling B, Montell C, Kapahi P. Nat Commun. 2022 Jun 7. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-30975-4

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS  

• The starting salary for a new postdoc at the Buck is $71,845 in 2025, with a range of up to $82,000 commensurate with postdoc level & experience.
• Exciting, dynamic work environment at the forefront of science using state-of-the-art techniques.
• Generous benefits package including health insurance, paid parental leave, childcare assistance, generous vacation/sick leave, and 401(k) with 5% employer match and student loan repayment option.
• Collaborative and dynamic environment, both for science and social activities.