Postdoctoral Fellow – Virology and Vaccine Development

City of Hope; Duarte (CA); On-site; USD 55,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Hope Beckman Research Institute invites applications for two postdoctoral scholar positions focused on developing vaccines and immunotherapies against gamma-herpesviruses, including EBV, KSHV, and rhLCV. You will engage in interdisciplinary work spanning molecular virology, vaccine engineering, immunology, and preclinical models.

Successful candidates will join a collaborative team, publish in high‑impact journals, and contribute to translational programs moving vaccine candidates toward

Qualifications

• Ph.D., M.D., Ph.D./M.D., Ph.D./D.V.M., or equivalent doctoral degree, with strong peer‑reviewed publications.
• Experience in four or more core areas listed in qualifications.

Responsibilities

• Develop and evaluate next‑generation vaccine platforms (circRNA, mRNA, LNP, viral vectors).
• Advance gamma‑herpesvirus infection and vaccine studies (EBV, KSHV, rhLCV).
• Support antibody discovery and immunotherapies, including monoclonal antibodies.
• Investigate vaccine‑induced humoral and cellular immunity (antibody, B‑cell, T‑cell responses).
• Use in vivo models for vaccine and antibody testing (mouse, rabbit, NHP, PDX).
• Study viral pathogenesis and immune evasion mechanisms.
• Contribute to preclinical evaluation of vaccines and immunotherapies.

Skills

Molecular biology

RNA biology

mRNA technologies

Vaccine development

Immunological assays

In vivo models

Protein engineering

Education

Doctoral degree (Ph.D./M.D.)

Tools

Flow cytometry

ELISA

Animal models

Viral vectors

Job description

Join the forefront of groundbreaking research at City of Hope where we're changing lives and making a real difference in the fight against cancer, diabetes, and other life-threatening illnesses. Our dedicated and compassionate faculty and staff are driven by a common mission: Contribute to innovative approaches in predicting, preventing, and curing diseases, shaping the future of medicine through cutting-edge research.

The laboratory of Javier Gordon Ogembo, Ph.D., at the Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope invites applications from highly motivated, creative, and exceptionally talented scientists for two postdoctoral scholar positions.

Our interdisciplinary research program focuses on developing prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines and immunotherapies against oncogenic gamma-herpesviruses, particularly Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), and rhesus lymphocryptovirus (rhLCV). Our work integrates molecular virology, vaccine engineering, immunology, antibody discovery, and advanced preclinical models with the goal of translating discoveries into clinically relevant vaccines and therapeutics.

As a successful candidate you will:

• Develop and evaluate next-generation vaccine platforms, including circular RNA (circRNA), mRNA, lipid nanoparticle (LNP), and MVA viral-vector vaccines.
• Advance gamma-herpesvirus infection and vaccine development studies, including work focused on EBV, KSHV, and rhLCV.
• Support antibody discovery and immunotherapeutic research, including monoclonal and neutralizing antibody development.
• Investigate vaccine-induced humoral and cellular immunity, including antibody, B-cell, and T-cell responses.
• Use advanced in vivo models for vaccine and antibody testing, including conventional and humanized mice, transgenic models, rabbits, non-human primates, and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models.
• Study viral pathogenesis, host-virus interactions, viral entry, and mechanisms of immune evasion.
• Conduct preclinical evaluation of vaccines and immunotherapies for infection and virus-associated cancers.

Qualifications

Your qualifications should include:

• Ph.D., M.D., Ph.D./M.D., Ph.D./D.V.M., or equivalent doctoral degree, a strong record of peer-reviewed publications, and demonstrated ability to independently design, execute, and interpret research.
• Strong expertise in four or more of the following:
  • Molecular biology, genetic engineering, virology, or RNA biology
  • mRNA, circRNA, LNP, or viral-vector technologies
  • Protein expression, purification, structural biology, or protein engineering
  • Monoclonal antibody generation and characterization
  • Immunological assays, including ELISA, flow cytometry, neutralization, and T-cell assays
  • Vaccine development and formulation
  • In vivo models
  • Cancer biology, tumor immunology, or infectious disease models
  • Quantitative analysis, experimental design, and interpretation of complex datasets

Additional Information

We are especially interested in scientists who are intellectually curious, technically rigorous, highly independent, and motivated to develop into scientific leaders. The successful candidates will have opportunities to publish in high-impact journals, develop grant applications, participate in multidisciplinary collaborations, work with people from multicultural backgrounds and contribute to translational programs advancing vaccine candidates toward clinical development.

City of Hope employees pay is based on the following criteria: work experience, qualifications, and work location.

City of Hope is an equal opportunity employer.

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