Postdoctoral Fellow - Head & Neck Cancer

Join the forefront of groundbreaking research at the Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, where we're changing lives and making a real difference in the fight against cancer, diabetes, and other life-threatening illnesses. Our dedicated and compassionate faculty and staff are driven by a common mission: contribute to innovative approaches in predicting, preventing, and curing diseases, shaping the future of medicine through cutting-edge research.

About the role

A Postdoctoral Fellowship opportunity is immediately available for the highly motivated individual in the research group of Dr. Krupal Patel within the Department of Surgery. Dr. Patel leads an exciting and dynamic research group at the forefront of studies on immuno-oncology in head and neck cancers. The focus of the translational lab is to generate preclinical data with rational combinations of novel therapies that can modulate the tumor microenvironment. To accomplish this goal, the lab is focused on generating high-fidelity ex vivo and animal models. Their goals are to identify key molecular and immunologic pathways activated by these novel therapies that can be targeted to enhance anti-tumor immunity.

You will directly work on projects focused on head and neck cancers, specifically squamous and melanoma cancers. This work includes developing and performing translational pre-clinical research studies, drafting original research and review articles for publication in peer-reviewed journals, and developing and presenting abstracts at national and international conferences. You will also lead and conduct experiments focused on immune cell phenotyping and tumor microenvironment profiling using a variety of multi-omic toolsets, with the goal of identifying clinical biomarkers and developing novel therapeutic opportunities.

Responsibilities

• Develop and perform translational pre-clinical research studies in head and neck cancers, including squamous and melanoma cancers.
• Draft original research and review articles for publication in peer-reviewed journals.
• Develop and present abstracts at national and international conferences.
• Lead and conduct experiments focused on immune cell phenotyping and tumor microenvironment profiling using multi-omic toolsets.
• Identify clinical biomarkers and develop novel therapeutic opportunities.

Requirements

• PhD or M.D. in life or biomedical sciences, or a related discipline is required.
• Experience in tumor immunology and/or oncology is preferred.
• Understanding of statistical methods and clinical and translational research procedures.
• Strong team player with excellent communication skills and fluency in English (both spoken and written).

Skills

• Prior experience with tissue culture, animal models, high-parameter flow cytometry, spatial transcriptomics or proteomics, and cell gene engineering techniques is desired but not required.

City of Hope employees pay is based on work experience, qualifications, and work location.