Faculty Position: Early Cancer Detection and Interception Physician and Scientist Investigators

Mayo Clinic and Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center (MCCCC) in Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona, and Rochester, Minnesota, seek open-rank faculty in Early Cancer Detection and Interception with leadership potential and a commitment to advancing cancer research into clinical impact.

About the Role

These positions will lead transformative efforts spanning discovery, translational, and clinical science in cancer early detection, prevention, and data-driven translational and clinical initiatives. The role integrates discovery science, clinical care, genomics, advanced analytics, and community engagement to redefine early cancer detection, monitoring, and prevention, with a focus on cancer interception—delaying or preventing cancer development or progression in pre-cancer and high-risk populations.

Responsibilities

• Design and lead prospective cohorts of healthy individuals and high-risk populations to study cancer initiation, progression, and interception.
• Develop strategies to identify individuals at risk (pre-cancer) and guide them to appropriate screening, prevention, and early intervention pathways.
• Integrate clinical, genomic, and longitudinal health data to monitor disease evolution and enable early therapeutic intervention and clinical trials.
• Partner with institutional programs (e.g., Mayo Clinic Platform, Mayo Clinic AI Program, Center for Individualized Medicine, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Clinical Genetics) to implement clinical-grade genomic sequencing and AI-based multimodal predictive algorithms for early cancer detection and interception.
• Expand cancer risk evaluation using AI-driven, multi-parametric models incorporating longitudinal clinical data, radiomics, digital pathology, genetics/genomics, exposome, epidemiology, and behavioral data.
• Expand access to advanced genomic diagnostics across diverse care settings and use genomic insights to inform risk assessment, early detection, and personalized treatment strategies.
• Collaborate with discovery science investigators to develop, test, and validate novel methods for early cancer detection and diagnosis.
• Lead and develop a translational science program focused on early detection and cancer interception (including immunoprevention).
• Utilize data warehouses unifying clinical, genomic, imaging, and outcomes data to develop surveillance and visualization tools for monitoring cancer trends.
• Partner with clinical and community organizations to build collaborative, community-based clinical trial networks focused on prevention and early detection/screening trials.
• Expand access to innovative trials and precision medicine approaches in diverse and underserved populations.
• Extend institutional impact nationally and globally through scalable models of care and research.

Research Environment

• Highly collaborative and integrated academic medical center with strengths in cell therapy, cancer immunotherapy, regenerative medicine, and translational science.
• Established CAR-T and immune cell therapy programs with active clinical translation.
• State-of-the-art genome engineering and cell manufacturing infrastructure.
• Access to institutional core facilities including genomics, single-cell sequencing, proteomics, bioinformatics, advanced imaging, computational resources, and AI tools.
• Focus on launching first-in-human trials to bring new treatments to patients.
• Dedicated institutional support for regulatory strategy, clinical trial development, and commercialization pathways.
• Developing biotechnology corridor attracting partner companies for accelerating translation of discoveries.
• Cross-campus enterprise collaboration opportunities with Mayo Clinic’s three Destination Medical Center sites (Rochester, Minnesota; Jacksonville, Florida; and Phoenix/Scottsdale, Arizona).

Selected candidates may house their programs on either the Arizona or Minnesota campuses but will work across the Mayo Clinic enterprise to shape a coordinated, forward-looking therapy strategy advancing precision medicine for cancer risk determination and clinical translation.

About Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center (MCCCC)

• Global leader in cancer care, research, and education, with 440 members and over 1,500 aligned cancer physicians across six Cancer Research Programs and 15 Disease Groups.
• Annually provides expert cancer diagnosis and treatment to over 150,000 unique patients across its three enterprise sites.
• Mission: To inspire hope and promote health and healing through integrated research, clinical practice, and education, centered on the primary value that the needs of the patient come first.
• Vision: To be a global cancer authority transforming cancer research and practice to ensure discoveries, knowledge, and expertise are accessible to all, within and beyond its walls.
• Goals: Cure cancers through translation of innovative transdisciplinary science into new means of prevention, early detection, interception, intervention, and unparalleled care delivery.
• Transform cancer research and practice using data platforms, digital technologies, AI, and intelligent automation to create new models for community and patient engagement, clinical trials, and patient-centered care delivery.
• Engage patients and communities in cancer research and decentralized clinical trials through Mayo Clinic Platform.
• Educate, train, and mentor the next generation of cancer physicians, scientists, and leaders.

MCCCC has achieved exceptional performance metrics, including $61.2M in annual peer-reviewed funding ($41.1M from NCI) and $98.7M in industry and non-peer-reviewed funding. The Center holds over 80 multi-investigator programmatic grants, including 6 NCI Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPOREs) in Myeloma, Ovarian Cancer, Breast Cancer, Liver/Hepatobiliary Cancers, Prostate Cancer, and Sarcoma. In 2025, MCCCC reported robust clinical trial accrual, including 2,624 therapeutic interventional trial accruals (12% of newly registered cases) and 10,367 non-interventional accruals. Members published 1,776 peer-reviewed works, with 24% in high-impact journals.

Why Choose Mayo Clinic?

• Premier, integrated academic medical center consistently ranked among the top hospitals in the nation.
• Strategic growth in cancer immunotherapy, drug discovery and development, regenerative medicine, and translational discovery science.
• Competitive startup and sustained institutional support.
• Investment in team science and program-building initiatives.
• Access to a $1B+ annual research enterprise.
• Infrastructure for IND-enabling studies and early-phase clinical trials.
• Exceptional benefits, including retirement and pension programs.
• A culture valuing innovation, inclusion, and transdisciplinary collaboration.

Qualifications

• Doctoral degree (M.D., M.D./Ph.D., Ph.D., Sc.D., or equivalent) in genetics, molecular biology, immunology, biomedical engineering, computational modeling, or a related discipline.
• If clinically trained, board-certified or board-eligible in Medical Oncology, Hematology/Oncology, or a relevant specialty (including surgical or other medical specialties).
• Demonstrated leadership in clinical and translational research.
• Experience with early detection, cancer genomics, population health, or digital health innovation.
• Strong track record of peer-reviewed funding (e.g., NIH, industry, foundations) and high-quality peer-reviewed publications.

Appointment level (Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor) will be commensurate with experience, scholarly achievement, leadership, and funding record.

Benefits

• Competitive startup and sustained institutional support.
• Exceptional benefits, including retirement and pension programs.

Schedule

Full-time (80 hours per pay period).