Institute Associate Scientist III - Cancer Biology
MD ANDERSON THERAPEUTICS DISCOVERY DIVISION
Within The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center lies a powerful engine driving the future of new targeted, immune- and cell-based therapies: the Therapeutics Discovery Division. Therapeutics Discovery eliminates the bottlenecks that hamper traditional drug discovery, with a multidisciplinary team of dedicated researchers, doctors, drug developers and scientific experts working together to develop small-molecule drugs, biologics and cellular therapies. Our unique structure and collaborative approach allow the team to work with agility, bringing novel medicines from concept to clinic quickly and efficiently – all under the same roof.
The Therapeutics Discovery Division is built around four platforms: The Institute for Applied Cancer Science (IACS), ORBIT (Oncology Research for Biologics and Immunotherapy Translation), TRACTION (Translational Research to Advance Therapeutics and Innovation in Oncology) and the Neurodegeneration Consortium.
The IACS platform is focused on discovering and developing the next generation of small-molecule targeted therapies, driven by the needs we see in our patients. The team aligns world-class drug discovery and development research with the science and clinical care for which MD Anderson is known. We work in a fast-paced, milestone-driven environment with a focus on team science and interdisciplinary research. Our unique approach has created a biotech-like engine within the walls of the nation’s leading cancer center to bring life-saving medicines to our patients more quickly and effectively. This model already has achieved results, with multiple programs currently in clinical and late-stage preclinical development.
As part of the IACS team, the Associate Scientist III participates in cross-functional research to identify and validate novel oncology targets, and translate these finding into transformative oncology therapies to benefit patients. The position requires the use of pharmacological and genetic tools to inform on the mechanism of action drug targets that are in our drug discovery pipeline and enable the discovery of biomarkers that are used to position our compounds in the clinic. These efforts will allow us to advance novel therapeutics currently under development by our Therapeutics Discovery teams and partners.
By joining the Therapeutics Discovery Division, you have the opportunity to use your talents to make a direct impact on the lives of our patients. We are seeking a highly motivated and collaborative individual to become a part of our team. Ideal candidates will have extensive experience employing cell and molecular biology techniques to exploit in vitro and in vivo systems to position therapeutics in the clinic, as well as possess excellent communication, collaboration, organization and leadership skills.
KEY FUNCTIONS:
1. Under minimal supervision, contribute to the development, validation, implementation and execution of mechanistic and functional studies to support the advancement of therapies attacking novel targets by defining target biology and developing translational strategies.
2. Validate and utilize novel reagents and innovative technologies, including but not limited to; siRNA, inducible shRNA, CRISPR, dominant negative methods, and small molecule inhibitors, to modulate target biology in order to define novel mechanisms, tumor dependencies and microenvironemental impacts.
3. Explore tumor intrinsic and extrinsic effects of target modulation including impacts on the immune system, cancer-associated fibroblasts, tumor heterogeneity and mechanisms of resistance both in vitro and in vivo.
4. Perform dose response studies in support of patient stratification and biomarker development.
5. Effectively communicate program progress/issues to colleagues and contribute to project success.
6. Under minimal supervision, design, execute, document and interpret experiments.
7. Employ safe lab practices.
Education
Preferred: Master’s or equivalent degree in Biology, Cell Biology, Molecular biology or related field.
Required: Bachelor's degree in Biology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Enzymology, Pharmacology, Chemistry or related field.
Preferred: Master’s or equivalent degree in Biology, Cell Biology, Molecular biology or related field.
Experience
Required: Three years of relevant research experience in lab. With preferred degree, one year of required experience.
Preferred: One year of relevant research and in a biotech or industry-like environment.
1. Experience in standard cell culture techniques, western blotting, viral transduction, qPCR, and cell phenotypic/proliferation assays is required.
2. Experience in ChIP-Seq, flow cytometry, 3D culture/tissue modeling, immune-phenotyping, and/or high-content imaging is prefered.
3. Experience utilizing lentiviral or retroviral systems to perform genetic studies with cancer cell lines is a plus. These tools and assays will be used to identify and validate novel biomarkers and develop responder ID hypotheses.
4. Experience independently designing and interpreting experimental results is expected.
5. The position requires an accomplished, highly self-motivated individual with outstanding organizational skills, the ability to effectively present results and conclusions to co-workers, collaborators and manager.
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