The Section on Vertebrate Development, NICHD, is recruiting a postdoctoral fellow to begin in late summer/fall of 2009. We are interested in working out novel aspects of signal transduction and gene regulation in early vertebrate development. Our focus is on the neural crest and the mesoderm of Xenopus and zebrafish embryos. Our entry point into these problems was the discovery of Inca, a novel gene that is required for both craniofacial development and mesoderm/notochord morphogenesis. Inca interacts with and regulates the activity of PAK4, a protein kinase that transduces important but largely unknown developmental signals in vertebrates.

We use embryology, molecular and cell biology, and genomic technology to identify components of regulatory pathways and their functions in the embryo. Online applications are accepted, or you may contact the PI at tsargent@nih.gov.


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The NICHD was initially established to investigate the broad aspects of human development as a means of understanding developmental disabilities, including mental retardation, and the events that occur during pregnancy. Today, the Institute conducts and supports research on all stages of human development, from preconception to adulthood, to better understand the health of children, adults, families, and communities.