PhD and MD/PhD students

We are constantly recruiting new PhD and MD/PhD students. Prospective students please apply to the BBS graduate program (especially the MCGD track or BQBS track of the BBS program) or the MD/PhD program at Yale. Please feel free to indicate your interest in our lab. Admitted students are welcome to rotate in our lab. Please email Prof. Wang to discuss rotation timeline and projects.

Postdoctoral and postgraduate research fellows

Our lab is seeking multiple highly motivated postdoctoral and/or postgraduate research fellows interested in the rapidly expanding field of spatial genomics, spatial multi-omics, and 4D nucleome.

Research in our lab focuses on the development and application of state-of-the-art imaging-based omics approaches to understand the spatial organization of mammalian genome, epigenome and transcriptome, and how they impact cellular states especially in complex tissue microenvironment, in the contexts of cancer, aging, and immunobiology. Representative innovations include the development of the first-in-kind image-based 3D genomics method termed chromatin tracing to trace the spatial folding of genome (See our “Best of 2021” review in Trends in Cell Biology and recent review in Nature Reviews Methods Primers), co-development of MERFISH for spatial transcriptome profiling (See Nature Methods Method of the Year 2020), the development of MINA — the first comprehensive 3D nucleomic imaging technique with highly multiplexed combined DNA-RNA-protein imaging, and Perturb-tracing — the first ultra-high-content, high-throughput, 3D genome regulator screening technology (Science 2016, Science 2015, Molecular Cell 2020, Nature Communications 2020, Trends in Cell Biology 2020, Nature Protocols 2021, Cell Discovery 2021, Genome Biology 2021, Nature Aging 2022, Science Advances 2023, Neuron 2023, Nature Reviews Methods Primers 2024, Cell Reports 2025, Nature Methods 2025). The lab also built the first single-cell 3D genome atlas of any cancer (Nature Genetics, accepted in principle) as well as the first single-cell 3D genome atlas of human tonsil and B cell immunity (Science under revision). Most recently, we developed RAEFISH (Cell under revision), our lab’s new flagship image-based spatial transcriptomics technology that simultaneously enables single-molecule spatial resolution and whole-genome level coverage of long and short, endogenous and engineered RNA species in cell cultures and intact tissues. This work represents the first time that more than 20,000 RNA species were directly probed and imaged in situ with any technology, and the first time numerous different gRNAs were directly probed and distinguished by imaging with single molecule resolution in a high-content CRISPR screen.

As one of the leading labs in this field, we are well funded through multiple NIH and private foundation mechanisms. Professor Wang is a highly recognized pioneer in the field and was awarded with the 2016 International Union of Pure and Applied Physics Young Scientist Prize in Biological Physics, the 2018 MIT Technology Review 35 Innovators Under 35 of China, the 2019 NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, the 2022 Pershing Square Sohn Prize for Young Investigators in Cancer Research, the 2023 Biophysical Society Early Career Award in Physical Cell Biology, the 2023 Hevolution/AFAR New Investigator Award in Aging Biology and Geroscience Research, and the 2024 American Society for Cell Biology Innovation in Research Award.

We have established a very dynamic and productive lab culture. Trainees in the lab receive unique, comprehensive training in this rising field and abundant research opportunities. Motivated trainees often rapidly achieve significant track records.

The postdoctoral/postgraduate fellows will lead the development of the next generation of image-based omics technologies and/or the application of these technologies to different biomedical investigations. Individuals with expertise in any one of the following areas are strongly encouraged to apply: 1) molecular and cellular biology with mammalian/human cell culture or tissue especially in stem cell biology, neuroscience, cancer, aging, or immunobiology; 2) sequencing-based omics technology development; 3) light microscopy and optical instrumentation; 4) computational biology/bioinformatics/AI method development. (Postdoctoral fellow candidates from mainly computational/bioinformatic PhD background are expected to have demonstrated one or more novel computational developments, instead of or in addition to adaptations of previously established computational pipelines to new experimental data.)

We expect successful postdoctoral fellow candidates to have strong publication track records, with at least one published/accepted lead-first-author research paper in a reputable journal if the applicant has <= 6 years of PhD+postdoc research experience, or at least two published/accepted lead-first-author research papers in a reputable journal if the applicant has > 6 years of PhD+postdoc research experience. The positions are renewable annually, with immediate start availability. To apply, please send your CV and cover letter with a description of previous research, and have three letters of recommendation sent to siyuan.wang@yale.edu