Post-Doctoral Research Fellow

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center is an independent, nonprofit organization providing adult cancer treatment and groundbreaking research focused on cancer and infectious diseases. Based in Seattle, Fred Hutch is the only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center in Washington.

With a track record of global leadership in bone marrow transplantation, HIV/AIDS prevention, immunotherapy and COVID-19 vaccines, Fred Hutch has earned a reputation as one of the world’s leading cancer, infectious disease and biomedical research centers. Fred Hutch operates eight clinical care sites that provide medical oncology, infusion, radiation, proton therapy and related services, and network affiliations with hospitals in five states. Together, our fully integrated research and clinical care teams seek to discover new cures to the world’s deadliest diseases and make life beyond cancer a reality.

At Fred Hutch we value collaboration, compassion, determination, excellence, innovation, integrity and respect. These values are grounded in and expressed through the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion. Our mission is directly tied to the humanity, dignity and inherent value of each employee, patient, community member and supporter. Our commitment to learning across our differences and similarities make us stronger. We seek employees who bring different and innovative ways of seeing the world and solving problems. Fred Hutch is in pursuit of becoming an anti-racist organization. We are committed to ensuring that all candidates hired share our commitment to diversity, anti-racism and inclusion.

 

A laboratory in Fred Hutch’s Translational Research Program (Public Health Sciences Division) is looking for a highly motivated Post-Doctoral Research Fellow to study the metabolism of dormant, disseminated tumor cells (DTCs). The candidate would join the Laboratory for the Study of Metastatic Microenvironments (LSM2), directed by Cyrus Ghajar (https://www.fredhutch.org/en/faculty-lab-directory/ghajar-cyrus.html). The LSM2 focuses on understanding the biology underlying DTC dormancy (see: Carlson et al., Nature Cell Biology 2019; Goddard et al., Nature Cell Biology 2018; 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 candidate will spearhead a project with the goals of:

• Measuring the metabolic state of dormant disseminated breast cancer cells across tissues.
• Determining whether DTCs face common or tissue-specific bottlenecks as they colonize distant sites (eg, brain, lung, bone marrow/bone, liver).
• Understanding, developing, and trialing therapies exploiting potential metabolic vulnerabilities of dormant DTCs with the goal of preventing breast cancer metastasis.

The ideal candidate will be able to take advantage of a resource-rich environment to develop an innovative and comprehensive strategy to understand metabolic requirements of DTCs, spanning dormancy, micrometastases, and metastatic colonization. They will be expected to take advantage of unique resources, including human specimens derived from rapid autopsy, immune-competent animal models, and organotypic culture.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Ph.D. and demonstrated expertise in metabolism (whether physiologic or pathologic/cancer).
• Interest and passion in developing curative approaches for metastasis.
• Strong publication record and eligibility and desire to apply for future fellowships.
• Experience in essential techniques to characterize and report on metabolism of a given cell.
• Excellent communication and organizational skills.
• Ability to develop creative approaches to experimental design.
• Thrive both in independent research and while working collaboratively.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience in live cell imaging, bioinformatics (e.g., analysis of metabolomic data), and/or experience working in murine tumor or metastasis models is strongly desired.
• The successful candidate will contribute positively to our lab’s environment.

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

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The annual base salary range for this position is from $67,728 to $150,000 and pay offered will be based on experience and qualifications.

 

This position may be eligible for relocation assistance.

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center offers employees a comprehensive benefits package designed to enhance health, well-being, and financial security. Benefits include medical/vision, dental, flexible spending accounts, life, disability, retirement, family life support, employee assistance program, onsite health clinic, income-based child care subsidy, tuition reimbursement, paid vacation (22 days per year), paid sick leave (up to 30 calendar days per occurrence of a qualifying reason), paid holidays (13 days per year), and paid parental leave (up to 4 weeks).

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 Human Resources at hrops@fredhutch.org or by calling 206-667-4700.