We are Hiring!
Opening in Fall 2025, the Translational Microbiome & Immune Tolerance Laboratory at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Center for Advanced Microbiome Research and Innovation (CAMRI) within the Institute of Genome Sciences (IGS) is recruiting multiple postdoctoral fellows, PhD students, and research specialists to join our interdisciplinary team studying the gut microbiome’s role in immune system development. Our lab integrates multi-omics, experimental models, and clinical cohorts to uncover mechanisms by which microbial metabolism shapes host immunity.
We welcome applicants with backgrounds in computational biology, molecular microbiology, and/or basic immunology to apply for the following openings:
Focus: AI-powered microbiome analysis, single-cell transcriptomics, and multi-omics integration
Key areas:
Metagenomic and 16S rRNA sequencing analysis
Single-cell RNA-seq and proteomic/metabolomic data integration
Machine learning and AI applications in microbiome data
Clinical metadata harmonization across cohorts
Integration of clinical and multi-omic data to uncover microbiome–host relationships
Experience with Python/R and cloud computing preferred
Ideal candidate: A computational biologist or bioinformatician with strong programming skills and a keen interest in applying AI to biological systems—particularly in the context of clinical datasets and microbiome-driven disease mechanisms.
Focus: Microbial genetics and functional studies in non-model organisms
Key areas:
Anaerobic bacterial culturing and phenotyping
Gene knockouts and genetic manipulation in gut microbes
Heterologous gene expression and microbiome engineering
In vivo colonization and gnotobiotic models
Functional screening of microbial isolates
CRISPR tools and microbiome-based therapeutics
Ideal candidate: A microbiologist with hands-on experience in molecular genetics and microbial manipulation, excited about engineering gut microbes and dissecting their mechanistic roles in host biology.
Focus: Immune profiling and microbial regulation of host immunity
Key areas:
Microbiota-immune system interactions in allergy and asthma
Flow cytometry panel development and immune cell phenotyping
Single-cell transcriptomics of immune compartments
Cytokine assays, Treg/Th cell profiling, mucosal immunity
Mouse models of allergic inflammation
Ideal candidate: An immunologist with strong wet-lab experience and interest in microbiome-immunity crosstalk.
Access to clinical samples from well-characterized pediatric cohorts
Collaborative environment across CAMRI and IGS
Mentorship in academic career development
Cutting-edge tools in multi-omics and host-microbe systems biology
To apply, please send a CV, cover letter, and contact information for three references to mozcam@som.umaryland.edu. In your cover letter, please indicate which position(s) you are applying for.
New Publication:
Gut Microbial Metabolism and Peanut Oral Immunotherapy Outcomes
Our latest paper, “Gut microbial bile and amino acid metabolism associate with peanut oral immunotherapy failure,” was just published in Nature Communications. This study, conducted during Dr. Özçam’s postdoctoral training, used integrated multi-omics analyses to reveal how gut microbial metabolism of bile acids and amino acids may influence the success or failure of peanut oral immunotherapy (POIT) in children. These findings not only highlight the role of the gut microbiome in food allergy treatment outcomes but also lay the groundwork for the Translational Microbiome and Immune Tolerance Laboratory's future research on microbiome-driven mechanisms of immune tolerance and allergy prevention.
Translational Microbiome and Immune Tolerance Laboratory is Open
Opening in Fall 2025, our lab will be based at the University of Maryland School of Medicine within the new Center for Advanced Microbiome Research and Innovation (CAMRI) and the Institute of Genome Sciences (IGS).
Our lab explores how the gut microbiome shapes immune development and the risk of allergic diseases early in life. The first years of life represent a critical window when diet, microbial colonization, and immune training are deeply intertwined. While the role of the gut microbiome in allergy is increasingly recognized, we know little about how microbial protein metabolism influences immune tolerance. Our research addresses this frontier by investigating how early-life microbial communities and their functional capacity—particularly their ability to process dietary and host-derived proteins—contribute to allergic disease risk and resilience. By combining integrated multi-omics microbiome analyses, immunology, and artificial intelligence, we aim to uncover novel microbial and metabolic pathways that can predict the risk of allergy development and be harnessed for the prevention and treatment of childhood allergies.