Post-Doc Fellow - Department of Oncology

Wayne State University; Detroit (MI); On-site; USD 52,000 - 68,000; Full time

Job summary

Wayne State University invites applications for a Post-Doc Fellow in the Department of Oncology on its Detroit campus. The role involves designing and performing research protocols, collecting data, and presenting results at conferences and in publications.

Responsibilities include grant writing with mentor support, mentoring lab members, and ensuring compliance with regulatory guidelines while maintaining organized laboratory operations.

Qualifications

• PhD or equivalent doctorate required.
• Experience performing basic research techniques is preferred.
• Ability to work independently and in a team.
• Strong data analysis, interpretation and reporting skills.
• Excellent time management and organization.

Responsibilities

• Perform scientific techniques or research protocols and assist in designing experiments.
• Collect and log data; ensure compliance with all guidelines and protocols.
• Mentor students or research assistants as needed.
• Prepare presentations and manuscripts for publication or conferences.
• Coordinate grant-related activities and track proposals.

Skills

Independent work

Grant writing

Data analysis

Time management

Communication

Collaboration

Education

Doctorate degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Post-Doc Fellow - Department of Oncology

Wayne State University is searching for an experienced Post-Doc Fellow - Department of Oncology at its Detroit campus location.

Essential Functions (Job Duties)

Perform scientific techniques or research protocols. Assist the Principal Investigator in designing and performing protocols. Design and perform experiments. Collect and log research data. Participate in implementing research objectives, ensuring compliance with all legal, regulatory and protocol guidelines. Assist other lab members with experiments as required. May mentor research assistants and students.

With the assistance of the mentor, find and write research grants with the goal of obtaining additional research grant funding. Responsibilities may also include coordinating correspondence with applicants and grantees, acknowledging receipts of proposals, and maintaining a system to track proposals.

Evaluate and perform preliminary analysis of the data using graphs, charts or tables to highlight the key points of the research results collected in accordance with the research protocols as stipulated.

Prepare and present presentations regarding research project results for professional, scientific and academic conferences. Summarize and organize data results for submittal to academic and scholarly, peer-reviewed journals. Write scientific manuscripts and other documents for publication. Fact-check, proofread, and edit research documents to ensure accuracy.

Maintain the laboratory work areas including routine maintenance on laboratory equipment as required. Order and organize required research supplies and records. Maintain cleanliness and organization of work station.

Perform other related duties as assigned.

Unique Duties

• Responsible for Cell culture & handling including Mammalian cell line maintenance and culture (passaging, cryopreservation, mycoplasma testing), primary cell culture from patient bone marrow/peripheral blood samples, PBMC isolation (density gradient centrifugation, e.g., Ficoll-Paque), and Bone marrow mononuclear cell isolation and processing.
• Molecular biology responsibilities include DNA/RNA extraction and quality control (Nanodrop, Bioanalyzer/TapeStation), PCR / qPCR (including RT-qPCR for gene expression), Western blotting (including co-IP for protein-protein interactions), Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) and ChIP-sequencing sample prep, Cloning and plasmid construction (e.g., CRISPR/Cas9 vector design for gene editing), and Lentiviral/retroviral transduction for stable cell line generation.
• Hematology-specific functional assays including Colony-forming unit (CFU) assays (CFU-GM, BFU-E, etc.) for hematopoietic progenitor function, Methylcellulose-based clonogenic assays, Cell viability/proliferation assays (MTT, CellTiter-Glo, Annexin V/PI apoptosis assays), Flow cytometry (immunophenotyping, cell sorting/FACS, intracellular staining), and Long-term culture-initiating cell (LTC-IC) assays or xenotransplantation-based stem cell assays.
• Sequencing & genomics support including Library preparation for next-generation sequencing (targeted panels, WES, RNA-seq), and Single-cell sequencing sample preparation.
• Imaging & histology techniques involving Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and immunofluorescence, Cytospin preparation and Wright-Giemsa staining for morphologic review of blood/marrow smears, and Basic microscopy (bright-field, fluorescence) for cell counting and morphology assessment.
• Support basic dry-lab workflows, including organizing and summarizing sequencing-derived datasets, in support of ongoing myeloid neoplasm research.
• Contribute to studies of clonal hematopoiesis, myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), MDS/MPN, and acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
• Assist with basic in vivo animal handling and imaging procedures as needed.
• Perform in vivo animal studies and associated imaging in support of translational hematology-oncology research.
• Contribute to the advancement of cancer genetics and its application to the development of novel therapeutics.

Qualifications

Education: Doctorate degree

Requires advanced knowledge in a field of science or learning, predominantly intellectual in character. This knowledge is acquired by a prolonged course of specialized intellectual instruction.

Experience Intermediate: (3 to 4 years job-related experience)

Job related experience can include doctorate training. Experience performing basic research techniques, preferred. Must have distinguished themselves in research. Prior recipient of funding for research based on individual achievements.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Ability to work independently.
• Ability to secure grants and funding for research.
• Ability to collect, analyze, summarize and interpret research findings in reports and communicate results to the field.
• Knowledge of and experience with current scientific integrity principles.
• Excellent time management and organization skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work with others in a collaborative environment.
• Microsoft office software skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• PhD in biochemistry, molecular biology, or a related field, with a strong cancer biology background, within 1–2 years of obtaining their graduate degree.
• Hematology-based research background highly preferred but not necessary.
• Demonstrated ability to independently run core wet-lab techniques: mammalian cell line maintenance and culture, DNA/RNA extraction, PCR/qPCR, western blotting, immunofluorescence, CFU assays, ChIP, and ChIP/ATAC sequencing.
• Proficiency in flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry (IHC).
• Experience or willingness to learn hematopoiesis and malignant hematology-related research, hematopoietic stem cell research, and novel drug targeting.
• Experience or willingness to learn in vivo animal handling, manipulation, and associated small-animal imaging.
• Experience with next-generation sequencing, single-cell technologies, bioinformatics, and dry-lab data analysis.

School/College/Division

H06 - School of Medicine

Primary Department

H0632 - Oncology

Employment Type

• Regular Employee
• Job type: Full Time
• Job category: Research

Funding/Salary Information

• Compensation type: Annual Salary

Working Conditions

Typical work environment may include a laboratory and/or office environment. May require working non-standard business hours including evenings and weekends. May be required to travel to scientific conferences.

Job Openings

• Number of openings: 1
• Reposted position: No
• Reposted reason: None (New Requisition)
• Prior posting/requisition number:

Background Check Requirements

University policy requires certain persons who are offered employment to undergo a background check, including a criminal history check, before starting work. If you are offered employment, the university will inform you if a background check is required.