Pediatric Oncology Translational Research Postdoc

The Pennsylvania State University; Hershey (PA); On-site; USD 50,000 - 70,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive benefits package

Job summary

The Beat Childhood Cancer Research Consortium at Penn State College of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, in Hershey, PA, seeks a postdoctoral scholar for the Pediatric Oncology Translational Research Lab (POTRL). This full-time on-site role centers on preclinical and translational cancer research in pediatrics.

Independent experimentation, data integrity, and collaboration with clinical and computational teams are essential.

Responsibilities

• Design, execute, and troubleshoot experiments with minimal faculty oversight.
• Formulate original hypotheses grounded in the current pediatric oncology literature and develop testable experimental frameworks.
• Maintain rigorous, reproducible laboratory records and uphold data integrity standards across all projects.
• Manage personal project timelines and deliverables, proactively communicating progress and roadblocks to the lead researcher and PI.
• Generate publication-ready datasets and lead the writing, revision, and submission of first-author manuscripts to high-impact journals.
• Critically interpret complex, preclinical, or clinical translational datasets and communicate findings to diverse audiences.
• Present research at national and international conferences; contribute to preparation of abstracts and poster materials.
• Serve as a peer reviewer for relevant scientific journals when invited.
• Identify, evaluate, and implement cutting-edge methodologies (e.g., single-cell sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, CRISPR screens, PDX/organoid models) relevant to pediatric cancer biology.
• Establish and validate new protocols, optimizing them for the lab's specific research questions and infrastructure.
• Document new methods thoroughly and train lab personnel on their implementation.
• Actively participate in lab meetings, journal clubs, and departmental seminars; contribute constructive scientific feedback to peers.
• Foster productive relationships with clinical collaborators, research technicians, bioinformaticians, biostatisticians, and translational teams within and outside the institution.
• Collaborate across multi-PI consortium projects, coordinating experimental contributions and adhering to shared timelines.
• Co-author multi-investigator publications and contribute equitably to collaborative grant applications.
• Directly mentor rotation students and graduate students in experimental techniques, scientific reasoning, and professional conduct.
• Provide regular, constructive feedback on mentees' data, presentations, and written work.
• Assist in development of laboratory training materials, SOPs, and onboarding resources.
• Model a culture of rigor, intellectual curiosity, and psychological safety within the team.
• Ensure compliance with institutional biosafety, IACUC, and IRB protocols; complete all required training on time.
• Contribute substantially to the writing and revision of grant applications (R01, K99/R00, foundation awards) as a co-investigator or named personnel.
• Identify and independently apply for independent fellowships and career development awards to support the transition to faculty.
• This is a limited-term position funded for one year from date of hire, with possibility of refunding.
• The following clearances must be successfully completed for this position: Criminal Background Check.
• Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being.

Job description

The Beat Childhood Cancer Research Consortium at Penn State College of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, in Hershey, PA, seeks a postdoctoral scholar for the Pediatric Oncology Translational Research Lab (POTRL). This full-time on-site role centers on preclinical and translational cancer research in pediatrics.

Independent experimentation, data integrity, and collaboration with clinical and computational teams are essential.