Postdoctoral Research Fellow Tumor Immunology : Seattle, WA, United States

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, home of three Nobel laureates, is an independent, nonprofit research institution dedicated to the development and advancement of biomedical research to eliminate cancer and other potentially fatal diseases. Recognized internationally for its pioneering work in bone-marrow transplantation, the Center’s five scientific divisions collaborate to form a unique environment for conducting basic and applied science. The Hutchinson Center, in collaboration with its clinical and research partners, the University of Washington and Seattle Children’s, is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in the Pacific Northwest. Join us and make a difference!

Responsibilities

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center’s Laboratory for the Study of Metastatic Microenvironments (LSM2), directed by Dr. Cyrus Ghajar, is looking for a talented post-doctoral fellow with extensive expertise in the realm of tumor immunology. The LSM2 focuses on understanding the biology underlying disseminated tumor cell (DTC) dormancy (see Ghajar et al., Nature Cell Biology 2013 and Ghajar, Nature Reviews Cancer 2015) and uncovering means to eradicate dormant DTCs.

The candidate will spearhead a project with the following goals:

1) to understand how the perivascular niche steers immune cell phenotype, and

2) to determine whether an immunotherapy-based strategy to target dormant DTCs is feasible. The ideal candidate will be interested and able to develop his/her own research strategy to understand DTC-immune cell interactions by utilizing an array of innovative models and sophisticated techniques we have developed or adopted in the lab. These include three-dimensional cell culture models, murine metastasis models and intravital imaging approaches. 

Qualifications

A Ph.D. in the field of immunology, tumor immunology, or closely related field (with strong expertise in tumor immunology) is required. A strong publication record and eligibility and desire to apply for future fellowships are also required. The candidate must also be experienced in essential techniques to characterize and profile immune cells and to gauge their function. A candidate with experience in live cell imaging, developing quantitative image analysis approaches, and experience working in murine tumor or metastasis models is strongly desired.

The successful candidate must have excellent communication and organizational skills, the ability to develop creative approaches to experimental design, and thrive both in independent research and while working collaboratively with other fellows and graduate students in the lab.