Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Postdoctoral Research Fellow – Hyeong-Reh Kim Laboratory
Wayne State University School of Medicine

Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute

We are seeking a creative and motivated Postdoctoral Research Fellow (NIH-funded) to join our collaborative team.

Are you a creative and hardworking individual who wants to do research in an interdisciplinary and fun laboratory setting? The Kim Lab at Wayne State University School of Medicine studies clinically relevant questions in cancer biology using tools from the complementary fields of molecular biology, cell biology, biochemistry and mouse modelling. In particular, our cancer biology work focuses largely on unveiling the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying human cancer progression and developing better therapeutic strategies. Our laboratory has investigated signaling networks regulated by growth factors, extracellular proteinases, oncogenes and tumor suppressors, critical for tumor progression and therapeutic responses for more than 2 decades. Our research group interacts closely with cancer biologists, clinicians, computational biologists, biochemists and biostatisticians/bioinformaticians.

Current projects focus on understanding genetic alterations in prostate and breast cancer cells for their ability to interact with the bone microenvironments necessary for intraosseous tumor growth. Recently, we identified a novel tumor suppressor that regulate lipid biology, critical for the regulation of tumor cell dormancy in the bone microenvironment. Current projects also include our long-standing research questions on PDGF ligand-specific signaling programs critical for epithelial-stromal interactions.

Our lab also focuses on the interactions of signaling networks with tumor metabolism and programmed cell death pathways. Our novel findings demonstrated that synthetic small molecules targeting tumor cell-specific, lipid metabolic pathways and autophagy induce ferroptotic or apoptotic cell death and improve the effectiveness of radiotherapy in therapy-resistant cancer cells. Using novel mechanism-based degradation of oncoproteins via the autophagy pathway, we aim to investigate the underlying molecular pathways and validate new therapeutic targets in treatment-resistant cancers.

Requirements

Specific responsibilities include:

· Designing and executing in vitro and in vivo experiments

· Conducting data analysis and interpreting results

· Maintaining accurate records, writing reports, and preparing and giving presentations

· Contributing to the overall laboratory safety, organization, and productivity

Qualifications

· Ph.D. in molecular biology, cancer biology, genetics, biochemistry or equivalent

· Enthusiastic team player, and self-motivated individual

· Experience with cell culture and experience (or interest) in mouse disease modeling

· Excellent English written and oral communication

About Wayne State University:
Wayne State University is one of the nation's pre-eminent public research universities in an urban setting and Karmanos Cancer Center is one of 51 National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer treatment and research centers in the United States. Through our multidisciplinary approach to research and education, and ongoing collaboration with government, industry and other institutions including our University Research Corridor partners – the University of Michigan and Michigan State University – Wayne State University - and our research and technology park, TechTown, seek to expand knowledge, enhance economic growth and improve the quality of life in the city of Detroit, state of Michigan and throughout the world.

Through our dedication and leadership, Wayne State University is a nationally recognized center of excellence in research. Our faculty lead the nation in many key research areas and their groundbreaking discoveries make a difference in the everyday lives of others around the corner and around the world, and we strive to continue making an impact by our groundbreaking research.

Wayne State University and the Karmanos Cancer Institute is an equal opportunity employer and affirms the right of every qualified applicant to receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, national origin, sexual orientation, genetic information, disability, age, ancestry, military service, protected veteran status, or other groups as protected by law.

Job Type: Full-time

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Health insurance
• Paid time off
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Monday to Friday
• Weekends as needed

Experience:

• Molecular biology: 1 year (Preferred)

Work Location: In person