Senior Research Scientist

The University of Pittsburgh is seeking highly motivated researchers to join The Translational Immuno-Informatics Laboratory (TIIL) (https://www.tiilab.org), directed by Jason Luke, MD and Riyue Bao, Ph.D., within the Immunotherapy and Drug Development Center of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center (HCC). The incumbent will be responsible to propose, design, and execute a research program in keeping with the theme of the Translational Immuno-Informatics Laboratory. The incumbent will leverage specimens obtained through our clinical program to investigate the tumor microenvironment and drug resistance on a molecular level. The incumbent will do this using varied multi-omic technologies, the development of novel drug testing models, patient derived cell lines, and organoids. The incumbent will play the primary role in the experimental design, problem solving, and analysis of resulting data and manuscript preparation. The incumbent will be responsible for the supervision of more junior members in the lab and act as scientific mentor to all projects. The incumbent will proactively seek grant funding for further research interests in keeping with the TIIL group.

The incumbent must have knowledge of cell biology, tumor biology, immunology, and advanced laboratory techniques. The ideal candidate will have prior experience with: tissue culture, patient derived cell lines, organoid models, DNA extraction, single cell RNA sequencing, immune functional assays, immunohistochemical staining, DSP and Vectra analysis, and other techniques as needed to pursue hypothesis testing and mechanism investigation surrounding cancer biology and immunology. The incumbent will also preferably have a background in managing large datasets and/or bioinformatics. The incumbent must possess leadership skills, strong communication and organizational skills, and have exemplary attention to detail.

PhD in biology or other science related field required. Must have at least 10 years of related experience. 8 years wet lab experience is preferred.

• Experience in a biomedical environment with human specimens and animal models.
• Expertise in designing and executing experiments including molecular cloning, cell culture, immune functional assays, antibody validation, IHC staining, and others.
• Proficiency in human organoids is required.
• Knowledge in cancer biology is required.
• Knowledge in immunology is required.
• Tracked record of publications that demonstrate those experimental techniques.
• The professional skills vital to this role include communication, organization, and self-driven scientific exploration.