Current Openings
PROJECT SCIENTISTS
We currently are in need of an individual with extensive experience in bacterial recombineering, particularly of undomesticated bacterial strains, and a profound interest in the field of gut microbiome research. We are offering an exciting Project Scientist role focused on developing microbiome-based therapeutics. As a part of our team, you will contribute to pioneering work on engineering native bacteria to affect host health, driving innovation in treating chronic diseases. Your role will encompass the isolation and characterization of novel bacterial chassis, design and engineering of bacteria to manipulate the gut microbiome, and troubleshooting genome protection mechanisms in undomesticated E. coli strains, among other tasks. Applicants with experience in microbial isolation, characterization, and eukaryotic cell engineering are especially welcomed. This position offers unique opportunities for career development in both academia and entrepreneurship, including potential engagement with startup companies and leading a bacterial engineering core. Please see our announcement. If interested, please send your CV and cover letter to Amir Zarrinpar
POSTDOCS
Currently, we are seeking a motivated and enthusiastic Postdoctoral Fellow/Physician Scientist with a keen interest in gut microbiome research. Our lab is at the forefront of creating microbiome-based therapeutics by engineering native bacteria to influence host health. As a member of our team, you’ll be part of pioneering work with the potential to bring about functional cures for chronic diseases. In this role, you’ll be involved in the isolation of novel bacterial strains, characterizing them, and engineering them to functionally manipulate the gut microbiome. In particular, your focus will be on integrating key genes of interest into undomesticated bacteria. While previous experience in bacterial recombineering, microbial isolation, and characterization would be a benefit, we’re primarily looking for someone with a solid foundation in microbiology and a strong desire to learn and grow in this innovative field. This is an excellent opportunity if you’re self-motivated, enjoy tackling challenging research problems, and thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment. You’ll be working alongside a team of world-leading researchers, including Rob Knight and Jeff Hasty, in an environment that promotes mentorship and career growth. This position offers an exciting platform for your career progression in academia or entrepreneurship.” Please see our announcement. If interested, please send your CV and cover letter to Amir Zarrinpar.
We will also consider candidates with particularly strong backgrounds in bioinformatics/data science, circadian rhythms, aging, reproductive health/endocrinology, colon cancer, immunology, inflammatory bowel disease, and metabolism.
PHYSICIAN SCIENTISTS
At the Zarrinpar Lab, we enthusiastically collaborate with physician-scientists who are eager to explore the fascinating intersection of circadian rhythms, gut microbiome, and various disease domains. Our work is an integral part of several T32 Research Programs at UCSD Medical Center, including but not limited to Digestive Diseases, Diabetes and Endocrinology, Atherosclerosis, Sleep Medicine and Obstructive Sleep Apnea, Infectious Diseases, and Luminal and Extra-luminal Cancers.
We warmly welcome physician-scientists interested in dissecting the role of the gut microbiome and circadian biology within these fields. Whether you’re considering a research fellowship at UCSD or seeking to join the Physician Scientist Training Program (PSTP), our lab provides a vibrant, collaborative environment for conducting transformative research.
If this aligns with your career aspirations, please reach out to us. Send your CV and a cover letter outlining your interests and goals to Dr. Amir Zarrinpar. We’re excited to learn more about you and explore potential collaborations that can advance our shared scientific interests.
FOREIGN MEDICAL GRADUATES
While the Zarrinpar Lab greatly values the contributions of professionals from various nationalities, we are primarily a basic science research lab with a strong focus on microbiome studies and circadian rhythms. Our work emphasizes microbiome bioinformatics, bacterial genetics, and bacterial engineering. Dr. Zarrinpar devotes less than 20% of his time to clinical practice, and does not supervise clinical observerships at UCSD or the San Diego VA Medical Center. As such, the lab is not currently engaging in clinical research and does not have positions open for clinical researchers.
Foreign medical graduates interested in joining our team are more than welcome, provided they possess relevant expertise in our key research areas. We consider first-author publications in international journals as a strong indicator of this expertise. For more information about our expectations and research interests, please refer to our postdoctoral job announcement.
GRADUATE STUDENTS
For those interested in pursuing a PhD in Zarrinpar lab:
The Zarrinpar lab is part of both the UCSD Neurosciences Program and the UCSD Biomedical Sciences Program. We can also accept students who are in the Bioengineering or Bioinformatics programs. These programs do not have a Masters program, however, we will consider UCSD students who have worked in the lab a minimum of 1.5 years for a BS/MS program. Unfortunately, we can only invite graduate students who have already been accepted to one of these programs to our lab.
We welcome rotation students as part of any quarter.
GAP YEAR
Students interested in taking a gap year or two before medical or graduate school are welcome to contact the lab to explore opportunities as an SRA-1 or Lab Assistant position (based on number of years of experience and relevant techniques mastered). This is ideal for candidates considering an MD/PhD program. We are currently looking only starting Summer of 2025. Full-time employees have the opportunity to:
- Make significant contributions to ongoing research
- Develop independence on a research project
- Write manuscripts
- Learn new techniques
For students interested in medical school, opportunities for:
- Disease-oriented research
- Clinical shadowing experiences
To apply, please send CV and cover letter to Amir Zarrinpar (azarrinp [at] ucsd [dot] edu)
UNDERGRADUATES
We are always interested in bright and enthusiastic undergraduate volunteers.
Those who are interested should be prepared to make a minimum 2-year commitment of ~16+ hours / week.
We will consider BISP 199 UCSD course credit after 2 quarters of experience in the lab.
We are open and encouraging about developing undergraduate experiments into Masters thesis projects as part of the UCSD BS/MS program.
