Research Postdoctoral Fellow - Mosse & Weber Labs

SHIFT:

Seeking Breakthrough Makers

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) offers countless ways to change lives. Our diverse community of more than 20,000 Breakthrough Makers will inspire you to pursue passions, develop expertise, and drive innovation.

At CHOP, your experience is valued; your voice is heard; and your contributions make a difference for patients and families. Join us as we build on our promise to advance pediatric care-and your career.

CHOP does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, religion, or any other legally protected categories in any employment, training, or vendor decisions or programs. CHOP recognizes the critical importance of a workforce rich in varied backgrounds and experiences and engages in ongoing efforts to achieve that through equally varied and non-discriminatory means.

A Brief Overview
Under the direction/guidance of a mentor (principal investigator), assumes responsibility for a specific, on-going research project. The experience will serve to extend, refine and enhance skills necessary for professional and career development, and will enable the individual to broaden his/her scientific background by acquiring new research capabilities. It is expected that this individual will conduct independent scholarly research, and will contribute directly to the overall research goals of the project and the research group.

This role will be expected to participate in project planning, recording and interpretation/evaluation of data, and communication of results. This position will also be expected to acquire technical, lab management, and manuscript/grant writing skills; and participate in seminars, lectures, poster sessions and presentations at national meetings. This role also may be required to supervise junior lab members, develop new methods and protocols for research, and assist with the development of other research projects in the lab.

About the Laboratory

We seek an innovative postdoctoral fellow to join a dynamic research team developing next-generation CAR T cell therapies targeting pediatric solid tumors. The successful candidate will engage in cutting-edge molecular and cellular immunotherapy research, including genetic engineering, functional evaluation of CAR T cells, and preclinical testing in relevant in vitro and in vivo models.

Responsibilities:

* Design, develop, and optimize genetically engineered CAR T cells for improved tumor targeting and persistence.

* Perform molecular cloning, lentiviral vector production, T cell transduction, and functional assays.

* Conduct in vitro experiments and use clinically relevant mouse models to evaluate CAR T cell efficacy and safety.

* Analyze experimental data, maintain accurate records in electronic laboratory notebooks, and prepare findings for publication and presentations.

* Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams including immunologists, clinicians, and bioinformaticians.

* Mentor junior lab members and contribute to grant writing and progress reporting.

Institutional Environment:

Dr. Mosse is a physician-scientist who has focused for two+ decades on the childhood cancer neuroblastoma with the dual goals of improving patient outcomes and using the disease as a model to understand cancer in general. The Mosse laboratory (https://www.research.chop.edu/people/yael-p-mosse) is comprised of a multi-disciplinary team focused on translating basic laboratory discoveries into new effective therapies for children with solid tumors. Her program is largely focused on genetic susceptibility, somatic mutations and clonal evolution, mechanisms of therapy resistance, immuno-oncology, drug development, and clinical trials. A new Scientist or postdocotoral fellow joining the team will be responsible for advancing knowledge about cancer through various research activities, including designing experiments, conducting studies, analyzing data, and communicating findings. This individual should be passionate about cancer research, eager to test new hypotheses in the field of immune-oncology, excited about access to patient samples as gifts for the research and motivated to participate in grant writing to secure funding for research projects and to draft manuscripts. We have a highly collaborative environment and are seeking someone who will be a good fit for our research program and who will enjoy mentoring and supervising junior researchers and lab technicians. We are looking for someone who has the natural ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary research environment, with strong problem-solving and critical-thinking abilities.

Dr. Weber is an Assistant Professor at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine who is working to uncover molecular programs that drive human CAR-T cell dysfunction, identify targets for therapeutic intervention, and inform universal strategies that improve CAR-T cell efficacy in cancer patients. Moreover, the Weber lab has a vibrant, inclusive, and interdisciplinary team to tackle pediatric cancer through the development of more efficacious T cell therapies. We are seeking a postdoctoral fellow to develop novel approaches to enhance chimeric antigen receptor (CAR-T) cell therapeutics through transcriptional and epigenetic reprogramming. Utilizing an array of pharmacologic, gene-editing, and bioengineering approaches, we aim to identify and modulate transcriptional and epigenetic pathways that redirect human T cells towards more therapeutic cell states. Multi-omics analyses on experimental and patient CAR-T cells will enable us to link epigenetic features to cell phenotype, function, and patient outcomes, thereby informing our T cell engineering efforts.

What you will do

• Conduct independent scholarly research and develop new methods and protocols
• Participate in project planning, recording and evaluation of data
• Acquire technical, lab management and grant writing skills
• Participate in seminars, lectures, poster sessions and presentation at national meetings
• Supervise junior lab members
• Assist with other research projects

Education Qualifications

• Doctorate - Required

Skills and Abilities

• Ability to wear a respirator device

Preferred Skills

* Familiarity with CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing and advanced cell therapy development techniques.

* Experience with bioinformatics analysis, next-generation sequencing, or epigenetic profiling is a plus.

* Knowledge of pediatric solid tumor biology and translational cellular therapies.

To carry out its mission, CHOP is committed to supporting the health of our patients, families, workforce, and global community. As a condition of employment, CHOP employees who work in patient care buildings or who have patient facing responsibilities must receive an annual influenza vaccine. Learn more.

EEO / VEVRAA Federal Contractor | Tobacco Statement

SALARY RANGE:

Salary ranges are shown for full-time jobs. If you're working part-time, your pay will be adjusted accordingly.

-------------------

At CHOP, we are committed to fair and transparent pay practices. Factors such as skills and experience could result in an offer above the salary range noted in this job posting. Click here for more information regarding CHOP's Compensation and Benefits.