Postdoctoral Scientist in Human Cell Fate Engineering

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Postdoctoral Scientist in Human Cell Fate Engineering

The Institute

The Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG) is an international biomedical research institute of excellence, based in Barcelona, Spain, with more than 400 scientists from 44 countries. The CRG is composed by an interdisciplinary, motivated and creative scientific team which is supported both by a flexible and efficient administration and by high-end and innovative technologies.

The Cell Fate Decoding and Engineering Lab at CRG Barcelona is seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher with strong expertise in stem cell biology and genetic engineering, and a keen interest in quantitative biology and high-throughput single-cell omics approaches.

Human pluripotent stem cells can be engineered in vitro into a wide range of cell types, offering tremendous potential for modelling human biology and disease, as well as for applications in drug discovery and cell replacement therapies. Our lab aims to expand the diversity and fidelity of human cell types that can be generated in vitro by integrating single-cell omics with systematic perturbation screens.

In parallel, we seek to decode gene regulatory programs underlying authentic human cell fate specification and leverage these insights to guide rational cell engineering. To support these goals, we also develop novel single-cell technologies that enable the simultaneous readout of genetic perturbations and transcriptomic states at single-cell resolution.

The successful candidate will work on human cell fate engineering with a focus on neuronal and associated lineages in both 2D and 3D systems, with the overarching goal to derive precise human models with accelerated and robust functional maturation that faithfully recapitulate primary cellular phenotypes. This project is embedded in close collaborations with leading national and international partners, including CRG, ETH Zürich, and MIT.

In this new role, you will:

• Develop and lead an independent research project in human cell fate engineering
• Design and execute stem cell engineering and perturbation screening experiments
• Contribute to the generation, analysis, and interpretation of single-cell omics data
• Co-mentor PhD and MSc students, as well as junior technicians
• Act as a senior member of the lab, actively engaging in scientific discussions and helping to shape research directions

About the lab

The Cell Fate Decoding and Engineering Lab is an emerging research group established in 2025, dedicated to engineering human cell diversity for applications in disease modelling, drug discovery, and cell replacement therapies. We aim to decode gene regulation in cell fate decision and leverage this knowledge engineer human cell identities across diverse biological contexts. Our research integrates single-cell omics, perturbation screening, stem cell-derived human 2D/3D models, and quantitative biology approaches.

The group currently consists of three PhD students and is expanding in 2026 with the recruitment of a Lab Manager and a postdoctoral researcher. We are an international and interdisciplinary team, supported by funding from the European Research Council (ERC) and the La Caixa Foundation.

Whom would we like to hire?

Professional experience

Must Have

• You hold a PhD in stem cell biology, synthetic biology, or biological engineering
• You have extensive hands-on experience in stem cell culture, including human stem cell-derived models, and in genetic manipulation of these systems
• You demonstrate a strong interest in cell fate engineering and systems biology approaches
• You have proven the ability to independently lead a challenging research project
• You have published or preprinted at least one primary research article as first or co-first author
• You have prior experience in genomics or a strong motivation to acquire expertise in genomic and single-cell technologies

Desirable but not required/ Nice to have

• You have experience mentoring students or technicians

Languages

• You are fluent in English

Technical skills

• Stem cell culture and differentiation
• Genetic manipulation in stem cell models
• Molec…