Postdoctoral Associate

Duke Careers; Durham (NC); On-site; USD 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance plans

Paid time off

Retirement programs

Tuition assistance

Job summary

Duke University School of Medicine's BRIDGE Lab seeks a highly motivated Postdoctoral Associate to join a translational breast cancer research program focused on mechanisms of tumor progression, therapeutic resistance, and tumor-immune interactions.

The successful candidate will lead experiments using breast cancer models and patient-centered translational approaches to define mechanisms regulating treatment response and immune evasion, with experience in cancer biology or related fields highly

Qualifications

• Ph.D. or equivalent in Biology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Cancer Biology, Cell Biology, Immunology, Genetics/Genomics, or related field.
• Experience in breast cancer biology, therapeutic resistance, tumor immunology, immune evasion, or translational oncology preferred.

Responsibilities

• Lead experimental projects using breast cancer models and patient-centered translational approaches.
• Define mechanisms regulating treatment response, immune evasion, and disease progression.
• Develop independent research questions and contribute to manuscripts and grants.
• Collaborate across disciplines in a multidisciplinary environment.

Skills

Independent research

Publications

Molecular biology

Cell biology

Immunology

Mammalian cell culture

Data analysis

Education

Ph.D. or equivalent

Tools

GraphPad Prism

R

Python

Job description

School of Medicine Established in 1930, Duke University School of Medicine is the youngest of the nation's top medical schools. Ranked sixth among medical schools in the nation, the School takes pride in being an inclusive community of outstanding learners, investigators, clinicians, and staff where interdisciplinary collaboration is embraced and great ideas accelerate translation of fundamental scientific discoveries to improve human health locally and around the globe. Composed of more than 2,600 faculty physicians and researchers, nearly 2,000 students, and more than 6,200 staff, the Duke University School of Medicine along with the Duke University School of Nursing, and Duke University Health System comprise Duke Health, a world-class academic medical center. The Health System encompasses Duke University Hospital, Duke Regional Hospital, Duke Raleigh Hospital, Duke Health Integrated Practice, Duke Primary Care, Duke Home Care and Hospice, Duke Health and Wellness, and multiple affiliations.

Be You.

The BRIDGE Lab (Breast Cancer Research in Genomics and Epigenomics) in the Division of Surgical Oncology at Duke University is seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Associate to join a translational breast cancer research program focused on mechanisms of tumor progression, therapeutic resistance, and tumor-immune interactions.

The successful candidate will lead experimental projects using breast cancer models and patient-centered translational approaches to define mechanisms that regulate treatment response, immune evasion, and disease progression. Candidates with experience in cancer biology, molecular biology, tumor immunology, therapeutic resistance, or functional model systems are strongly encouraged to apply. Prior experience in epigenetics, genomics, or computational biology is a plus.

This position is ideal for a motivated scientist who wants to develop independent research questions, generate high-quality mechanistic and translational data, contribute to manuscripts and grants, and work within a collaborative multidisciplinary environment.

Minimum Requirements:

• A Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in Biology, Molecular Biology, Biochemistry, Cancer Biology, Cell Biology, Immunology, Genetics/Genomics, or a closely related scientific field is required.

Preferred Qualifications:.

• Experience in breast cancer biology, therapeutic resistance, tumor immunology, immune evasion, or translational oncology.
• Experience with flow cytometry, immune co-culture assays, drug-response assays, engineered cell models, organoids, patient-derived models, or animal models.
• Familiarity with antigen presentation, HLA expression, interferon-response signaling, HER2, or tumor-intrinsic immune evasion.
• Experience with epigenetics, chromatin biology, transcriptomics, DNA methylation, ATAC-seq, RNA-seq, or other molecular profiling platforms.
• Experience with data analysis software such as GraphPad Prism, R, Python, or similar platforms.

Other Requirements:

This position is onsite. The work is performed on-site or at a designated assignment location.

The ideal candidate is scientifically curious, proactive, organized, and motivated to build an independent research trajectory in translational breast cancer biology. The candidate should be comfortable troubleshooting experiments, interpreting unexpected results critically, working across disciplines, and helping move projects from experimental design to publication.

Be Bold.

The candidate will work closely with lab members including postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, research technicians, and is expected to independently perform daily activities which include, but may not be limited to:

• Demonstrated record of independent research experience during doctoral studies.
• Strong publication record with at least one first-author publication or a manuscript submitted/in preparation in a peer-reviewed journal.
• Hands-on experience with molecular biology, cell biology, cancer biology, immunology, pharmacology, or related experimental approaches.
• Proficiency in designing, executing, troubleshooting, and interpreting complex experiments.
• Experience with mammalian cell culture and functional assays relevant to cancer biology or therapeutic response.

Preferred Experience

• Experience in breast cancer biology, therapeutic resistance, tumor immunology, immune evasion, or translational oncology.
• Experience with flow cytometry, immune co-culture assays, drug-response assays, engineered cell models, organoids, patient-derived models, or animal models.
• Familiarity with antigen presentation, HLA expression, interferon-response signaling, HER2, or tumor-intrinsic immune evasion.
• Experience with epigenetics, chromatin biology, transcriptomics, DNA methylation, ATAC-seq, RNA-seq, or other molecular profiling platforms.
• Experience with data analysis software such as GraphPad Prism, R, Python, or similar platforms.

Choose Duke.

Join our award-winning team and be part of an inclusive culture that is committed to providing outstanding patient care, training tomorrow’s leaders, and conducting innovative research. You'll also benefit from Duke's competitive benefits package, including health insurance plans, generous paid time off, retirement programs with employer contributions, tuition assistance for employees and their children, and more.

Duke is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy related conditions), sexual orientation or military status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions:

Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essential job functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.

Nearest Major Market: Durham
Nearest Secondary Market: Raleigh

Read more about Duke’s commitment to affirmative action and nondiscrimination at hr.duke.edu/eeo.