Post-Doctoral Research Fellow - Gene Editing Therapy

Site: Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary

Mass General Brigham relies on a wide range of professionals, including doctors, nurses, business people, tech experts, researchers, and systems analysts to advance our mission. As a not-for-profit, we support patient care, research, teaching, and community service, striving to provide exceptional care. We believe that high-performing teams drive groundbreaking medical discoveries and invite all applicants to join us and experience what it means to be part of Mass General Brigham.

Job Summary

Company Description


Massachusetts Eye and Ear is a world-renowned specialty hospital focused on treating disorders of the eye, ear, nose, throat, and head and neck regions. Affiliated with Harvard Medical School, the institution is a leader in patient care, education, and research in its areas of expertise. Beyond offering advanced medical and surgical services, Mass Eye and Ear conducts cutting-edge laboratory and clinical research to improve care for current and future patients. Serving locally and globally, the hospital is committed to improving lives through innovative treatments and academic excellence in healthcare.

Qualifications

We are seeking postdoctoral fellows to work on gene and editing therapy for genetic hearing loss and advancing our findings toward clinical applications. Our gene and editing therapies have successfully restored hearing in multiple mouse models (Gao et al., Nature, 2017; Du et al., Mol Ther, 2023; Yong et al., Nat Commun, 2023; Zhu et al., Sci Transl Med, 2024; Wei et al., JCI, 2025). The projects include the development of new technologies (e.g. RNA editing, epigenetic modifications, shRNA) for different forms of genetic hearing loss and multiple IND-enabling studies for gene and editing therapies with the goals to initiate clinical trials in 3 years. The work is supported by the NIH SCGE program (

Our laboratory employs state-of-the-art technologies, including in vitro adult cochlea explant culture, reprogramming, scRNAseq, inner ear organoids, genome editing, gene therapy, viral and non-viral delivery, and physiological function analysis. We are collaborating with the industry, working with CROs and interacting with the FDA to bring our work towards the clinic.

We are pioneers in clinical translational applications, having conducted the first successful OTOF gene therapy trial in children born with complete hearing loss, resulting in restored hearing and speech capabilities (Lv et al., The Lancet, 2024; Wang et al., Nat Med, 2024).

Our lab is part of Eaton-Peabody Laboratories, the largest hearing research center globally, renowned for its diverse research programs in hearing science. We offer a unique and exciting opportunity for candidates interested in advancing basic research to translational applications, including human studies.

Candidate Requirements : We seek individuals with a Ph.D., M.D./Ph.D., or M.D. For gene/editing therapy, we seek candidates with a strong background in genetic hearing loss, in vivo animal inner ear study, AAV-mediated gene therapy and editing technology. A strong track record of scientific publications is essential.

Please email a curriculum vita, a description of research accomplishments and names of three references to:

Zheng-Yi Chen (617-909-6090)

Associate Professor

Massachusetts Eye & Ear/Harvard Medical School

Boston, MA 02114

[email protected]

Additional Job Details (if applicable)

Remote Type

Onsite

Work Location

243-245 Charles Street

Scheduled Weekly Hours

40

Employee Type

Regular

Work Shift

Day (United States of America)

EEO Statement:

5110 Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, age, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, military service, genetic information, and/or other status protected under law. We will ensure that all individuals with a disability are provided a reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. To ensure reasonable accommodation for individuals protected by Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Vietnam Veteran’s Readjustment Act of 1974, and Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, applicants who require accommodation in the job application process may contact Human Resources at (857)-282-7642.

Mass General Brigham Competency Framework

At Mass General Brigham, our competency framework defines what effective leadership “looks like” by specifying which behaviors are most critical for successful performance at each job level. The framework is comprised of ten competencies (half People-Focused, half Performance-Focused) and are defined by observable and measurable skills and behaviors that contribute to workplace effectiveness and career success. These competencies are used to evaluate performance, make hiring decisions, identify development needs, mobilize employees across our system, and establish a strong talent pipeline.