Post-Doctoral Research Fellow: Brain Tumor Dormancy/Metastasis

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 Hutchs 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 nations first cancer prevention research program, as well as the clinical coordinating center of the Womens Health Initiative and the international headquarters of the HIV Vaccine Trials Network. Careers Start Here.

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Centers Laboratory for the Study of Metastatic Microenvironments ( LSM ² ), directed by Dr. Cyrus Ghajar, is looking for a talented post-doctoral fellow interesting in studying the cellular and molecular basis of disseminated breast tumor cell dormancy in the brain.

The LSM ² focuses on understanding the biology underlying disseminated tumor cell (DTC) dormancy (see Ghajar et al., Nature Cell Biology 2013; Ghajar, Nature Reviews Cancer 2015; Carlson et al., Nature Cell Biology 2019). The candidate will spearhead a project with the following goals:

1. to characterize the cellular and molecular microenvironment of dormant DTCs in different regions of the brain;
2. to identify and thoroughly characterize signaling triggered by the brain microenvironment that effects DTC quiescence; and
3. to determine how/why these controls go awry to facilitate metastatic progression in only specific brain regions.

The ideal candidate will be interested and able to develop their own research strategy to understand DTC- resident brain cell interactions by utilizing an array of innovative models and sophisticated techniques we have developed or adopted in the lab. These include three-dimensional cell culture models, multiple murine models of brain metastasis, intravital imaging approaches and proteomics.

A Ph.D. in a related field (neuroscience, developmental biology, cell biology, or tumor biology) is required. A strong publication record and eligibility and desire to apply for future fellowships are also required. The candidate must also be experienced in essential techniques to characterize and profile brain cells. A candidate with an extensive background in neuroscience and experience in live cell imaging, implementing spatial transcriptomic strategies, developing quantitative image analysis approaches, and working with murine models is strongly desired.

The successful candidate must have excellent communication and organizational skills, the ability to develop creative approaches to experimental design, and thrive both in independent research and while working collaboratively with other fellows and graduate students in the lab.

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