Postdoc Fellow - Bioinformatics & Computational Biology

Full-time experimental postdoctoral fellow positions are available in Professor Yiwen Chen's lab. Dr. Chen's lab focuses on deciphering the cell signaling, epigenetic/epitranscriptomic and RNA-based regulation mechanism of cancer immunology in solid tumors, neural stem cells and cancer stem cells of brain tumor. The Chen lab has great expertise in combining computational with high-throughput approaches such as single-cell multi-omics profiling (e.g., scRNA-seq and Perturb-seq), CRISPR/Cas9, mass spectrometry, ChIP-seq, RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP)-seq, eCLIP-seq (enhanced CrossLinking and Immunoprecipitation followed by high-throughput sequencing) and Ribosome Profiling (Ribo-seq), to decipher cryptic translation of the non-canonical open reading frames (ORFs) and/or noncoding RNA (ncRNA)/RNA-binding protein (RBP)-mediated regulatory circuitries. The experimental postdocs will leverage the high-throughput assays developed/established in the lab to study the cell signaling, epigenetic/epitranscriptomic and RNA-based regulation that is important for tumor immunity in solid tumors, neural stem cells and cancer stem cells of brain tumors, as well as develop T cell-based and/or combinatorial cancer immune therapies. The former postdoctoral trainees from the Chen lab have excelled in both academia and industry, including 4 past/current postdoctoral trainees from Chen lab who are/will become a faculty in U.S. or China.

Chen lab representative publications include

Nature Structural & Molecular Biology (2023, PMC10716047), Science (2023, PMID: 37676964), Science Advances (2023, PMC10403220), The Journal of Clinical Investigation (2023, PMC9974104), Journal of Experimental Medicine (2021, PMC7543092), Genome Biology (2021, PMC8381491), The Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer (2021, PMC7887353), Nature Methods (2018, PMC5967874), Nature Genetics (2017, PMID: 27841882), Nature Communications (2017, PMC5701008), and Trends in Genetics (2016, PMC4805481).

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

The postdoctoral trainee will learn how to conduct highly interdisciplinary research at the interface of computational/functional genomics, RNA biology, cancer biology, cancer immunology and neural stem biology. He/she will also learn how to perform translational research in collaboration with basic scientists and physicians.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

Applicants should have a Ph.D. degree (or equivalent) in biomedical sciences. Strong background in one or more of the following areas: molecular biology; protein/RNA biochemistry; transcriptional/epigenetic regulation; cell signaling; virology; immunology; T-cell biology; cancer biology. Mouse model experience and bioinformatics/genomics/proteomics expertise are not required, but highly desirable. All applicants should have good spoken and written communication skills.

ADDITIONAL APPLICATION INFORMATION

Interested applicants should send i) a cover letter briefly describing your previous experience and your future research interest/plan, ii) a curriculum vitae, and iii) contact information of at least three references to Dr. Yiwen Chen (~~~).

POSITION INFORMATION

MD Anderson follows the NIH stipend levels as outlined by the Kirchstein - NRSA (~~~) . This full-time trainee position will provide a salary between $56,484 to $68,604, dependent upon the years of postgraduate experience.

MD Anderson offers compensated trainees

• Paid medical benefits (zero premium) starting on first day for trainees who work 30 or more hours per week

• Group Dental, Vision, Life, AD&D and Disability coverage

• Paid Education Vacation and Sick Leave

• Paid institutional holidays, wellness leave, childcare leave and other paid leave programs

• Teachers Retirement System defined-benefit pension plan and two voluntary retirement plans

• Employer paid life, AD&D and an illness-related reduced salary pay program

• Health Savings Account and Dependent Care Reimbursement flexible spending accounts

• Fertility benefits

• State of Texas longevity pay

• Extensive wellness, fitness, employee health programs and employee resource groups