Two Postdoctoral Scholar Positions, Pathobiology Dept, Dr. Nicola Mason Lab

About the role

The Mason Lab in the Department of Pathobiology at the University of Pennsylvania is recruiting Postdoctoral Scholars to join the Comparative Immunotherapy Program. The lab develops comparative immunotherapeutic approaches to study correlative biomarkers of immune response in canine patients with spontaneous diseases, including cancer and autoimmunity. This comparative approach leverages naturally occurring diseases in client-owned pet dogs to inform both human and veterinary medicine. The lab has a particular interest in engineered cell-based therapeutics (e.g., CAR-T, TIL therapeutics), checkpoint inhibitors, and bi-specific T cell engagers. In collaboration with partner labs at Penn, the group works to identify biomarkers of immune response within canine patient populations, including phenotypic and functional characteristics of various immune cell populations and their interactions with immune suppressive and stromal elements within the tumor microenvironment, serum metabolites, and the gut microbiome.

Techniques

• Flow cytometry
• Immunohistochemistry
• ELISA
• ELISpot
• Cytotoxicity assays
• CRISPR/Cas9 editing and gene transfer technologies (lentiviral, retroviral, electroporation)
• Advanced sequencing technologies (single-cell and bulk)
• Seahorse flux assays
• LC/MS analysis
• Clinical in vivo assessments (client-owned animals with spontaneous disease processes)

Research focus

The program aims to advance:

• Novel immunotherapeutics for cancer and autoimmunity in both companion animal and human species
• Baseline markers of prognosis for patient stratification to immunotherapeutic clinical trials
• Novel technologies applied to veterinary species to address outstanding biological questions centered on immune response and immunological fitness

Disease areas of focus include, but are not limited to:

• B cell lymphoma
• Osteosarcoma
• Histiocytic sarcoma
• Squamous cell carcinoma
• Autoimmunity, including pemphigus and hemolytic anemia

Training opportunities

• Developing engineered autologous and allogeneic cell-based therapies for assessment in canine patients with cancer or autoimmunity
• Developing novel biologics centered on bi-specific T cell engagers and identifying correlative biomarkers of response in canine patients
• Investigating mechanisms of resistance to checkpoint inhibitors in solid tumors
• Studying cancer-immune cell interactions within the primary and metastatic tumor microenvironment using functional biology approaches and advanced in-situ sequencing/data analytics

What trainees can expect

• Mentorship
• Freedom
• Resources
• Exciting science
• Fun

Requirements

Candidates must hold a Ph.D. and demonstrate a strong interest in comparative immunology and immunobiology. A proven record of publication is required (including bioRxiv and/or arXiv preprints or papers in preparation). Required skills: molecular biology, cell culture, and animal work. Desirable but not required computational skills: next-generation sequencing data analysis, statistics, and machine learning. Start date and term are negotiable.

Application materials

Applicants must submit the following through Interfolio:

• CV
• Cover letter
• List of three referees

Contact

Questions or follow-up inquiries can be emailed to Dr. Mason at nmason@vet.upenn.edu.