Job Description
The Cancer Biomaterials Engineering Section at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) is hiring a Postdoctoral Fellow to lead projects in developing implantable biomaterial scaffolds for tissue repair and cancer immunotherapy delivery. The Lab is headed by Dr. Matthew Wolf. It is a multidisciplinary combination of biomaterials science, cancer immunology, and tissue engineering. The Lab studies immune modulatory scaffolds as a local delivery system for cancer immunotherapy after surgery and as 3D scaffolds for building immune competent tumor models in vitro. Naturally derived materials composed of decellularized extracellular matrix are of particular interest. Our long-term mission is to design biomaterial scaffold-based strategies that modulate and enhance antigen specific anti-tumor immune responses after surgical tumor resection.
Additional position information:
The laboratory is located at NCI Frederick, MD. Benefits include healthcare and free parking on site. Stipends are highly competitive. The lab is over 750 ft, with 3 BSL2 rated biological safety cabinets, confocal microscope, and ImageXpress live cell imaging system. There is unlimited access to the adjacent flow cytometry core facility, qRT-PCR, plate reader, and nearby vivarium. State of the art RNA sequencing and mass spectrometry cores are available.
Qualifications and Job Details
Required and Preferred Skills
Candidates with experience & interest in the following areas are encouraged to apply:
- Animal models: transplantable tumors and soft tissue surgery
- 3D in vitro models such as tumor organoids or spheroids
- Immunology / cancer immunology
- Biomaterial scaffold design and characterization
- Spectral flow cytometry
- Immunofluorescence/IHC tissue staining
- Single-cell sequencing and analysis
- Tissue engineering
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.
Frederick
Frederick is the second largest city in Maryland but retains a “small town” feel, surrounded by mountain views with a vibrant Main Street community. The city offers outstanding schools, a balanced and thriving economy and a highly educated workforce.
Interested candidates should email a brief cover letter, CV, 2 first-author publications, and contact information for 3 references to matthew.wolf@nih.gov. The cover letter should include research experience, career goals, interest and expectations, and preferred start date. Positions are available in Fall 2025.