Postdoctoral Position: Cancer Biology, Functional Genomics

Functional Genomics Pipeline

The Functional Genomics Pipeline (FGP) is located in the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The primary focus of the laboratory is to use personalized models of cancer to elucidate mechanisms of treatment response and resistance in cancer. The lab is built around a precision medicine platform that combines comprehensive genomics with high throughput CRISPR and Small molecule screens  (http://cancerdiscovery.aacrjournals.org/content/early/2017/03/10/2159-8290.CD-16-1154). Projects in the lab work to develop effective therapeutic strategies that can be rapidly translated into the clinic from the genetics, genomics, and functional modeling in clinically relevant models.

Position Summary

Genomic analysis has identified multiple tumor specific dependencies. The successful applicant will use the patient derived models from the FGP to validate these dependencies using both small molecule and genetic perturbations. They will perform experiments under the general supervision of the principal investigators Drs. Zhang and Hopkins. Under guidance, they will develop mechanistic projects to evaluate cancer dependence, understand the mechanisms that drive tumor sensitivity, and ultimately test the efficacy of predicted FDA-approved drugs and our own novel compounds for treating tumors. Novel targets, mechanistic models, and compounds for cancer are identified through our cutting-edge systems biology framework of integrating large-scale multi-omics data from cancer populations, and genetic and pharmacological perturbation experiments. This role is a key component of this framework to validate critical novel findings for further improving the modeling approaches and will provide the opportunity to work with an array of scientists with diverse expertise including computational biologists, biochemists, medicinal chemists, cancer biologists and oncologists. They will be able to independently analyze and interpret results, to provide input on experimental design and to prepare experimental data for presentation to PIs and the rest of the team.

Responsibilities

• Develop independent projects to validate novel cancer targets and experiments to understand the mechanism that drive tumor sensitivity.
• Assist in training incoming technicians and students in standard operating procedures, demonstrate and trains others in the proper use/operation of laboratory techniques and equipment.    
• Assists to ensure safe laboratory practices are followed, including the use and disposal of chemicals and hazardous materials. 
• Evaluates, recommends, and develops new techniques to assist in overall laboratory efficiency. 
• Ability to independently, design and carry out experiments. Analyzes and interprets experimental results and provides input related to subsequent experimental designs. 
• Writes/amend laboratory operating protocols and implements new technology and protocols as needed. 
• Prepares and maintains detailed records, logs and summary reports of all procedures and results including graphs, scientific calculations, and statistical analysis charting. 
• Completes extensive cell culture, transfection and transduction experiments and the generation of novel, stable cell lines with minimal supervision. 
• Perform screens with drugs and genetic technologies.  
• Perform standard and challenging functional diagnostics, test and troubleshoot relevant protocols, and interpret results independently.
• Perform routine molecular biology laboratory procedures such as PCR, protein and DNA electrophoresis, RNA and protein analysis such as western blotting, immunoprecipitation, cDNA cloning, etc using current and novel molecular biology and biochemistry techniques
• Participates in laboratory meetings, discussions and other talks.     

Requirements

Minimum Requirements

• Doctoral Degree in Life Sciences or related scientific field
• Approximately 3-5 years of related work experience within a laboratory

Skills and Abilities

• Ability to work independently and in a team environment.
• Excellent planning, organizational and time management skills as well as multi-tasking.
• Excellent communication skills including documentation/writing skills