Cures Start Here. At Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, home to three Nobel laureates, interdisciplinary teams of world-renowned scientists seek new and innovative ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening diseases. Fred Hutch’s pioneering work in bone marrow transplantation led to the development of immunotherapy, which harnesses the power of the immune system to treat cancer. An independent, nonprofit research institute based in Seattle, Fred Hutch houses the nation’s first cancer prevention research program, as well as the clinical coordinating center of the Women’s Health Initiative and the international headquarters of the HIV Vaccine Trials Network. Careers Start Here.

At Fred Hutch, we believe that the innovation, collaboration, and rigor that result from diversity and inclusion are critical to our mission of eliminating cancer and related diseases. We seek employees who bring different and innovative ways of seeing the world and solving problems. Fred Hutch is in pursuit of becoming an antiracist organization. We are committed to ensuring that all candidates hired share our commitment to diversity, antiracism, and inclusion.

A laboratory in Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center’s Translational Research Program (Public Health Sciences Division) is looking for a highly motivated Postdoctoral Research Fellow. The candidate would join the Laboratory for the Study of Metastatic Microenvironments (LSM2), directed by Cyrus Ghajar.

The LSM2 focuses on understanding the biology underlying disseminated tumor cell (DTC) dormancy (see: Carlson et al., Nature Cell Biology 2019; Ghajar, Nature Reviews Cancer 2015; Ghajar et al., Nature Cell Biology 2013) and uncovering means to eradicate dormant DTCs. Our overarching goal is to develop therapeutically viable approaches to prevent breast cancer metastasis.

The broad research area we are interested in exploring is: how the DNA damage response of quiescent cells differs from that of proliferative cells, and the therapeutic implications of these differences.

Responsibilities

The more specific areas the successful candidate will be expected to take on and drive in thoughtful and provocative new directions are:

• Defining a secretome induced by genotoxic therapy in vascular endothelium, and characterizing the effect of this secretome on associated DTCs.
• Discovering the molecular origins of this secretome, and the impact of targeting it at its “roots” vs its stem.

The ideal candidate will be interested and able to develop their own research strategy to answer these questions utilizing an array of innovative models and sophisticated approaches that we have developed in the lab, along with those they would contribute to the lab. Formal training in bioinformatics approaches to interrogate transcriptomic and phospho-proteomic data would prove helpful towards this end. The ideal candidate will also be expected to contribute to a creative, collaborative and bustling laboratory environment.

Qualifications

• A Ph.D. in cell biology or a related field, with extensive wet lab experience is required.
• A strong publication record and eligibility and desire to apply for future fellowships are also required.
• Candidates with expertise in organotypic culture models, imaging, bioinformatics, and/or experience working in murine tumor or metastasis models are preferred.’
• The successful candidate must have excellent communication, organizational, and interpersonal skills, the ability to develop creative approaches to experimental design, and thrive both in independent research and while working collaboratively.

A statement describing your commitment and contributions toward greater diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism in your career or that will be made through work at Fred Hutch is requested of all finalists.

Our Commitment to Diversity

We are proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) Employer. We are committed to cultivating a workplace in which diverse perspectives and experiences are welcomed and respected. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, ancestry, national origin, sex, age, disability (physical or mental), marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, political ideology, or membership in any other legally protected class. We are an Affirmative Action employer. We encourage individuals with diverse backgrounds to apply and desire priority referrals of protected veterans. If due to a disability you need assistance/and or a reasonable accommodation during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to our Employee Services Center at hrops@fredhutch.org or by calling 206-667-4700.