August 2025:
We are seeking a highly motivated and curious student to join our lab for a PhD program exploring the fundamental mechanisms of cell fate decisions. This fully funded position is supported by a recent grant from the John Templeton Foundation, and offers a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of advanced cell biology, micropatterning technologies, and cutting-edge microscopy.
Cell fate decisions are shaped by biochemical and biophysical cues from the extracellular matrix (ECM), with cells typically proliferating on stiff ECMs and undergoing apoptosis on soft ones. Transitions between these decisions are driven by changes in cytoskeletal organization, cellular forces, and adhesion states, but a general understanding of how these grow-or-die decisions are orchestrated across cell types and scales remains elusive. This gap is especially critical in disease contexts like cancer, where cells evade rigidity-dependent apoptosis, and fibrosis, where myofibroblasts resist apoptosis due to altered biomechanical environments—a phenomenon also linked to aging. We aim at understanding the mechanobiological principles behind these transitions in order to illuminate how cells interpret and respond to their physical surroundings in health and disease.
If you are interested in joining us, please contact: haguyw@technion.ac.il