The Wilder Lab is seeking researchers for postdoctoral fellow positions with expertise in the methods and theory of mathematical and computational modeling, statistics, or a related field (e.g. systems biology, computational biology, data science, applied mathematics). Some experience with experimental lab techniques would also be beneficial for the project but not required. As a member of the Wilder Lab, the postdoctoral fellow will develop predictive, quantitative and computational tools to investigate the spatiotemporal control of innate immune responses. Thus, the hire would be using differential equation-based models to simulate signaling and gene expression responses as well as machine learning models to determine predictive features of immunopathogenic responses. The hire would also help with teaching and supervising junior lab members. The candidate should be a team player, willing to learn and take risks, and be dedicated.

The immune system is faced with a tremendous challenge: it must balance the competing goals of antiviral activity with avoidance of immune-mediated damage. The immune response is usually effective in pathogen recognition and clearance, but excessive inflammation can lead to tissue damage and decreased lung function. Balancing these two goals depends on continuous communication about the magnitude and nature of infection, which is accomplished by cytokine signaling. The continuous monitoring of infection and feedback-mediated adjustment of the immune response shares many parallels with engineering problems and, is thus well-suited for interrogation using quantitative and control theoretic approaches, which have been widely embraced by the systems biology community.

Previous work from Dr. Wilder focused on understanding innate immune and inflammatory responses by studying transcription factor dynamic regulation in lung epithelial cells using an iterative systems biology approach involving mathematical and experimental approaches. The overall focus of the Wilder lab group is to mechanistically understand and develop quantitative models of the dynamical interferon-mediated antiviral and inflammatory responses in the contexts of both health and inflammatory disease. The development of these models that can potentially help identify biomarkers that predict immunopathogenesis and guide therapeutic inhibitor target screens.