Postdoctoral Fellow in Spatial Transcriptomics and Immunotherapy

At Moffitt Cancer Center, we strive to be the leader in understanding the complexity of cancer and applying these insights to contribute to the prevention and cure of cancer. Our diverse team of over 9,000 are dedicated to serving our patients and creating a workspace where every individual is recognized and appreciated. For this reason, Moffitt has been recognized on the 2023 Forbes list of America’s Best Large Employers and America’s Best Employers for Women, Computerworld magazine’s list of 100 Best Places to Work in Information Technology, DiversityInc Top Hospitals & Health Systems and continually named one of the Tampa Bay Time’s Top Workplace. Additionally, Moffitt is proud to have earned the prestigious Magnet® designation in recognition of its nursing excellence. Moffitt is a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center based in Florida, and the leading cancer hospital in both Florida and the Southeast. We are a top 10 nationally ranked cancer center by Newsweek and have been nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report since 1999.
Working at Moffitt is both a career and a mission: to contribute to the prevention and cure of cancer. Join our committed team and help shape the future we envision.

Summary

TSAI LAB

Skin cancer is the most common group of cancers in humans. Whereas melanoma has over 25 FDA-approved therapies, highly lethal high-risk cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma and Merkel cell carcinoma have but a handful. The Tsai Lab seeks to address these unmet needs.

We combine cross-species analysis of UV-driven mouse models of skin cancer with deep interrogation of human tumor samples to develop novel chemoprevention and therapeutic strategies for high-risk cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma and Merkel cell carcinoma. The PI, Dr. Kenneth Y. Tsai, MD, PhD, is a dermatologist, dermatopathologist, and NIH-funded investigator with extensive experience in mouse models of cancer, molecular biology, and in the diagnosis and research of skin cancer. He Co-Directs the Melanoma & Skin Cancer Center of Excellence, which is committed to the advancement of translational research to improve prevention and therapy of advanced skin cancers.  (kenneth.tsai@moffitt.org)

We are recruiting a postdoctoral fellow interested in advancing novel spatial transcriptomic techniques for the study of novel models of melanoma metastasis and immunotherapy responses to aggressive skin cancers. The postdoctoral researcher will undertake projects described below:

Project 1: Studying the spatial distribution, functional status, and cellular composition of the tumor microenvironment as it relates to immunotherapy response in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma and Merkel cell carcinoma. The goal is to identify drivers of therapeutic response and ultimately derive novel targets to address immunotherapy resistance.

Project 2: Developing novel mouse models for the pre-clinical development of novel immunotherapeutic and targeted therapy approaches  for cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma and Merkel cell carcinoma.

Successful candidates will be working at the interface of human cancer biology, mouse models, and data science.  The successful candidate will collaborate closely with multiple laboratories, including with data scientists in the Department of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics to develop innovative analysis platforms for spatial transcriptomic techniques for their work. They will also interact with a team of cancer biologists, immunologists, mathematical modeling experts, computational biologists, and clinicians at Moffitt Cancer Center (Tampa, FL) to conduct research in a highly collaborative environment. Ideal candidates have demonstrated expertise in signal transduction, metabolism, drug resistance, metastasis or single-cell analysis studies.

Position highlights:

• Studying the functionality of tumor spatial heterogeneity and immunotherapy  
• Improving our understanding of interactions between the tumor and the TME through model development
• Developing cutting edge techniques for spatial RNAseq and metabolomics
• Focus on career development including grant writing, scientific writing/presentation, mentorship of junior members of the lab, networking, and building collaborations.  

Responsibilities:

• Working with patient specimens (acquisition, processing, preparation for analysis, biochemical screening), establishing and maintaining tumor cell cultures, cellular signaling and phenotypic assays, establishing in vivo models, metabolic assays, and proteomic analysis.
• Providing intellectual input on steering the project
• Developing novel technical approaches
• Mentoring graduate students and technicians
• Composing manuscripts and postdoctoral fellowships, assisting with grant applications

Credentials and qualifications:

• PhD in Cancer Biology, Molecular Biology, or a related field (required)
• Strong written and oral communication skills and the ability to work independently and with collaborators.

Moffitt Postdocs are provided free employee-only Medical and are eligible for Dental, Vision, Paid Time Off, Retirement, Parental Leave and more. With a move to Tampa, you may be eligible for relocation allowance. Reason to relocate, aside from the sunshine, beaches and year-round outdoor recreation associated with the Gulf Coast of Florida, Tampa is a thriving metropolitan city with unique cultural attractions and high quality of life. We strive for work/life balance.

How to apply

Candidates should e-mail the following documents to  kenneth.tsai@moffitt.org

1) A cover letter that describes their motivation to pursue this position, why they would be the perfect fit for these projects and summarizes past research accomplishments. They should also include a summary of what expectations/goals they have for this fellowship.

2) A current CV with recent publications and contact information for three references.