Senior Scientist-Psychiatry Dr. Kaji

Description The laboratory studies human brain development and neuropsychiatric disease using stem cell–derived organoids and primary fetal tissue. Current projects focus on: Defining how radial glia give rise to hippocampal and neocortical lineages, and identifying signaling pathways (e.g., Wnt and beyond) that govern hippocampal subfield specification Building and characterizing human hippocampal organoid systems, including efforts to engineer missing subfields (e.g., CA1/CA3/DG) Identifying conserved molecular and cellular programs across genetic and pharmacologic models of schizophrenia using large-scale single-cell and multiomic datasets Modeling neurodevelopmental contributions to schizophrenia through perturbation systems, including chronic and acute NMDA receptor inhibition (e.g., ketamine exposure) Developing scalable perturbation platforms (e.g., inducible CRISPRa/i systems) to systematically interrogate candidate regulatory pathways emerging from integrative analyses Responsibilities Design, optimization, and execution of hiPSC culture, reprogramming, and differentiation workflows Generation and maintenance of 3D brain organoids (neocortical and hippocampal), including protocol development for patterning and subfield specification Implementation and standardization of signaling perturbation paradigms (e.g., Wnt modulation, small molecules, growth factors) Development of inducible genetic perturbation systems (e.g., CRISPRa/i, doxycycline-regulated constructs) Processing of organoid and fetal tissue samples for downstream applications, including: single‑nucleus RNA sequencing (snRNA-seq) single‑nucleus ATAC sequencing (snATAC-seq) multiome assays spatial transcriptomics Organoid characterization using: immunohistochemistry and confocal imaging structural analysis of rosettes and laminar organization Establishment and enforcement of standard operating procedures (SOPs) to ensure reproducibility and quality control across experiments Evaluation and implementation of laboratory automation platforms to increase throughput and consistency Supervision and training of research staff; coordination of day‑to‑day laboratory operations Close collaboration with computational scientists to iteratively refine experimental design based on multiomic analyses Qualifications Educational and other Requirements for the position: Ph.D. in stem cell biology, developmental biology, neuroscience, or a related field Significant experience working with human pluripotent stem cells (hESCs or hiPSCs) Demonstrated expertise in organoid systems or complex differentiation platforms Strong background in experimental design, assay development, and troubleshooting Excellent organizational and leadership skills, with the ability to manage multiple parallel projects Interest in building scalable, reproducible research systems rather than executing isolated experiments Experience Required: Extensive experience in iPSC culture, reprogramming, and lineage-specific differentiation Proven track record of developing or optimizing complex biological workflows Experience with genome engineering approaches (e.g., CRISPR/Cas9, inducible systems) Familiarity with single-cell or spatial genomics workflows (sample preparation level) Experience establishing SOPs and quality control pipelines in a research or core facility setting Prior experience supervising personnel or managing shared research resources is strongly preferred Experience with laboratory automation platforms is highly desirable Equal Opportunity Employer The Mount Sinai Health System is an equal opportunity employer, complying with all applicable federal civil rights laws. We do not discriminate, exclude, or treat individuals differently based on race, color, national origin, age, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We are deeply committed to fostering an environment where all faculty, staff, students, trainees, patients, visitors, and the communities we serve feel respected and supported. Our goal is to create a healthcare and learning institution that actively works to remove barriers, address challenges, and promote fairness in all aspects of our organization. Compensation The Mount Sinai Health System (MSHS) provides salary ranges that comply with the New York City Law on Salary Transparency in Job Advertisements. The salary range for the role is $58661 - $125008.22 Annually. Actual salaries depend on a variety of factors, including experience, education, and operational need. The salary range or contractual rate listed does not include bonuses/incentive, differential pay or other forms of compensation or benefits. #J-18808-Ljbffr Mount Sinai Medical Center