Job Description
A postdoctoral position to discover mechanisms of drug resistance regulated by cell polarity proteins (PMID: 30996345), cellular plasticity, and clonal evolution in the breast or pancreatic cancer (PMID: 32990680) is available in the lab of Dr. Senthil Muthuswamy at the Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics (LCBG), National Cancer Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD.
The Muthuswamy laboratory was among the first to employ three-dimensional cell culture (now referred to as organoid culture) to bridge the gap between growing cells as a flat monolayer and tumors growing in vivo. They apply a microscope-to-stethoscope approach that combines basic cell biology investigations with clinical translation, as evidenced by the successful completion of a clinical trial: Harnessing Organoids for PErsonalized therapy (HOPE) in pancreatic cancer. Studies in his lab use the organoid platform to understand how cell polarity proteins regulate drug resistance and cell metabolism, T-cell-tumor cell interactions, metastatic progression, and develop personalized cancer treatments.
The postdoctoral fellow will have the option to use tumor organoid or mouse models, genetic screens, proteomics, single-cell analysis, metabolomics, and high-resolution imaging approaches.
Guidance and mentoring will be provided in weekly lab and bi-weekly one-on-one meetings, in addition to an open-door policy for discussions. The fellows can connect with past trainees currently in faculty, industry, or journal editorial positions. In addition, the fellows will have access to multiple training opportunities at NCI and LCBG, outlined in the Trainee Commitment section of the LCBG website.
Qualifications and Job Details
Required and Preferred Skills
A recent Ph.D. graduate or soon-to-graduate Ph.D. student with solid training in cell or molecular or cancer biology or proteomics or cell metabolism with a passion for translational or basic cancer research.
About the NCI Center for Cancer Research
The Center for Cancer Research (CCR) is home to nearly 250 basic and clinical research groups located on two campuses just outside of Washington, D.C. CCR is part of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and makes up the largest component of the research effort at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Centrally supported by long-term funding and a culture of complete intellectual freedom, CCR scientists are able to pursue the most important and challenging problems in cancer research. We collaborate with academic and commercial partners and advocacy groups across the world in efforts to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer and HIV/AIDS. The CCR research portfolio covers the full spectrum of biological and biomedical research. Our work ranges from basic to translational and clinical, and our clinical trials are conducted in the NIH Clinical Center, the world’s largest hospital dedicated to clinical research that offers a robust infrastructure to support CCR’s patients on an estimated 250 open studies. The success of CCR is grounded in an exceptionally strong discovery research program that provides the foundation for the seamless translation of insights from bench to bedside. Read more about CCR, the benefits of working at CCR and hear from our staff on their CCR experiences.
Bethesda
Bethesda is one of the most highly educated communities in the United States and has a nationally renowned school system. The city is a thriving suburban center close to Washington, D.C., and home to many restaurants, retailers and a flourishing arts and entertainment district.