Postdoctoral Fellowship

The Goodman-Luskin Microbiome Center (GLMC)  offers an endowed fellowship in microbiome research. This postdoctoral fellowship will be awarded annually to support excellence in microbiome research related to the center's focus areas, including projects involving microbiome connections to gut-brain signaling, immune function, and metabolism.

Application submissions are now closed

Eligibility

Applicants must:

• Hold a PhD and/or MD
• Be engaged in advanced training at UCLA
• Have a committed UCLA postdoctoral appointment for the duration of the award
• Conduct research under the guidance of a UCLA faculty member who holds member affiliation with the GLMC and one of its research programs

Award terms

• Approximately $100,000 includes support for salary and project-related expenses for 12 months
• Fellows will be required to present their research at the center seminar series and asked to host a session related to their research interests at the GLMC annual meeting

Application

To apply, please compile, as a single PDF document, the following components:

• Research proposal of no more than four pages (not including references and citations)
• Applicant NIH bio sketch
• Faculty mentor NIH bio sketch
• Nomination letter from the faculty mentor for the proposed project
• One additional letter of recommendation (may be mailed separately)

The proposed research must address the themes of one of the GLMC research programs. Successful submissions will have a clear articulation of the project aims, research to be completed during the fellowship period, its broader impacts, and a commitment from the research mentor to additional funding, facilities, and other support for the candidate. Research that features innovative solutions to scientific problems and that involve interactions with GLMC core facilities will be given priority.

How to apply

Applicants should submit a single PDF of the entire application by email to Alex Orozco at [email protected]. Application submissions are now closed

Postdoctoral fellow 2025 - 2026

Takahiro Ohara, PhD; Integrative Biology and Physiology, UCLA Life Sciences

Research: Microbiota regulation of gut enterochromaffin cell dynamics
Mentor: Elaine Y. Hsiao, PhD; De Logi Associate Professor of Biological Sciences, Integrative Biology and Physiology
Funding: $100,000; August 1, 2025 to July 31, 2026
Core usage: Gnotobiotics; Microbiome

Dr. Ohara is a postdoctoral fellow at UCLA, where he aims to understand the complex interaction between the microbiome, intestinal epithelium, and nervous system. He completed his BS in molecular, cell and developmental biology at UCLA and began his research journey with an interest in stem cell biology and tissue regeneration. He went on to complete his PhD in immunology at Washington University in St. Louis, where he studied the response of the intestinal epithelium to tissue inflammation and injury. Fascinated by the complexity of the gut and its interaction with multiple biological systems, he joined Dr. Hsiao's Lab at UCLA to study how the microbiome regulates the gut endocrine system and engages with gut-brain neuroepithelial circuits. His current project focuses on the impact of the gut microbiota on the turnover of enterochromaffin cells.