Postdoctoral Research Associate - Bone Marrow Transplantation and Cellular Therapy

Location: Memphis, TN | Department: Bone Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy | Shift: Weekday Day | Position Type: Full Time | Scheduled Weekly Hours: 40 | Req #: JR7783

About the role

A postdoctoral research associate position is available in the lab of Dr. Senthil Bhoopalan.

Bone marrow failure (BMF) disorders are catastrophic diseases of childhood that result in failure to produce hematopoietic cells leading to severe morbidity and eventually mortality. Treatment options are limited to supportive care and allogeneic bone marrow transplantation. We are interested in developing curative therapies for patients with these rare but severe disorders. Using a combination of disease model systems such as induced pluripotent stem cell-derived hematopoietic stem cells and engineered hematopoietic stem cells from healthy donors to model patient mutations, we have advanced development of gene therapy for Diamond-Blackfan anemia which is anticipated to move to clinic in the coming months. Now we are developing individualized genome editing-based treatments using base editors and prime editors for BMF disorders.

As part of an academic/industry team, we recently received funding from ARPA-H to advance development of in vivo genome editing for BMF disorders (DRIVE project). This translational project, called DRIVE (Delivering Rare-disease In Vivo Editors), will involve development of preclinical models and pipelines to demonstrate efficacy and safety and accelerated development of personalized bespoke genomic medicines for patients with BMF disorders such as Diamond-Blackfan anemia and GATA2 deficiency. You will work with a multidisciplinary team of scientists with expertise in genome editing, high throughput screens, hematology, cell biology, LNP formulation, technology development and commercialization, cGMP practices, technical writing, regulatory affairs, clinical trial design and project management.

Responsibilities

• Develop novel research project(s) and idea(s) in collaboration with mentor
• Design and perform experiments, interpret data, and communicate results with scientific community
• Work with mice models of human disease
• Work collaboratively with a multidisciplinary team and with collaborative labs inside and outside St. Jude
• Generate initial draft for grants and research manuscripts
• Professional development requirement, including grant writing

Requirements

• PhD

Skills

• Experience working with mice
• Strong background in cell biology and HSC biology
• Exposure to high-throughput screens, CRISPR/Cas9, base editors will strengthen the application

About the lab

The Bhoopalan lab's goal is to advance our mechanistic understanding of human hematopoiesis in health and disease and leverage these findings to develop curative therapies for human blood disorders. The Bhoopalan lab is a diverse multidisciplinary group that utilizes various tools from molecular biology, cell biology, computational data science and translational medicine. Trainees will have access to the deep technical expertise in the lab, and the opportunities to participate in wide range of collaborative efforts, lead projects, learn grantsmanship and develop a path towards independent research.

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is a world-class research institution dedicated to pediatric cancer and other catastrophic diseases of childhood. The first and only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. Our 300 faculty work across the spectrum of basic, translational, clinical, and population science in a highly collaborative multidisciplinary environment that includes a Nobel laureate and members of the National Academy of Science and the National Academy of Medicine. St. Jude is ranked on Fortune Magazine's "Best Workplaces in Health Care & Biopharma" and Glassdoor's "Best Places to Work," and is located in the heart of Memphis, Tennessee, a vibrant and friendly city at the historic American crossroads of music, trade, food and culture.

Pay

Competitive salary starting at $72,530 a year.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits
• Generous relocation assistance
• Customized professional and career growth programs: grant writing workshops, individual development plans, teaching and mentoring opportunities, non-research career advancement programs, professional development allowance
• Access to shared resources and facilities led by expert scientists, coupled with cutting-edge technology
• Vibrant postdoc community supporting a well-balanced life