Postdoctoral Associate

Summary

We seek a highly motivated postdoctoral fellow to lead a translational immunotherapy project focused on advancing next-generation CAR T-cell therapies for pediatric solid tumors. The fellow will apply high-throughput screening, T-cell engineering, and single-cell analytics to identify and validate novel receptor designs that enhance anti-tumor activity. This role offers the opportunity to drive impactful preclinical research in a collaborative, multidisciplinary environment. Ideal candidates will have experience in cellular immunotherapy, molecular cloning, and data analysis, with a strong interest in developing innovative cancer treatments.

Job Duties

• Designs and executes experiments involving CAR T-cell engineering, transduction, and functional assays, as well as barcoded DNA libraries.
• Analyzes pooled barcoded screens and single-cell RNA-seq datasets using bioinformatics tools.
• Maintains detailed electronic lab notebooks and prepare figures for presentations, manuscripts, and progress reports.
• Supports grant proposals by contributing data, methods, and experimental insights for funded and future applications.
• Mentors and trains research assistants, students, and rotating trainees in lab techniques and data analysis workflows.
• Presents findings at weekly lab meetings and contribute to Center-wide seminars and collaborative discussions.

Minimum Qualifications

• MD or Ph.D. in Basic Science, Health Science, or a related field.
• No experience required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Ph.D. in Immunology, Cancer Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Molecular/Cell Biology, or a closely related field.
• Hands-on experience in T-cell engineering, including lentiviral/retroviral vector design, transduction, and functional immune assays.
• Proficiency in multi-parameter flow cytometry, including panel design, compensation, and data interpretation.
• Experience with single-cell and bulk RNA-seq workflows, including sample preparation and downstream analysis.
• Familiarity with barcoded pooled screening techniques or other high-throughput genetic screens.
• Prior experience with mouse models (e.g., xenograft or humanized models), including tumor monitoring and tissue processing.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and commitment to rigorous data documentation and reproducibility.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with a demonstrated ability to work both independently and as part of a collaborative team.
• Experience mentoring junior trainees or contributing to a team-based research environment is a plus.