Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, home of three Nobel laureates, is an independent, nonprofit research institution dedicated to the development and advancement of biomedical research to eliminate cancer and other potentially fatal diseases. Recognized internationally for its pioneering work in bone-marrow transplantation, the Center's five scientific divisions collaborate to form a unique environment for conducting basic and applied science. The Hutchinson Center, in collaboration with its clinical and research partners, the University of Washington and Seattle Children's, is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in the Pacific Northwest. Join us and make a difference!

A Postdoctoral Research Fellow is being sought to join a research lab in the Clinical Research Division. Research in the lab focuses on the genomics of head and neck cancer; development of novel drug targets including preclinical in vivo murine studies; and mechanisms of synthetic lethality for p53 mutant epithelial tumors. The research fellow will work on projects under the supervision and guidance of a senior faculty member.

The post-doctoral research fellow will work on independent and collaborative projects to identify metastasis-specific DNA copy number and mutational gene changes in head and neck tumor cells metastatic to lymph nodes; whether such gene changes are targetable for therapeutic potential, and whether therapeutic potential is affected by p53 mutational status. In addition, the candidate will be involved in elucidating mechanism of synthetic lethality for p53 mutated epithelial tumors.

The position will involve utilization of laser capture microdissection to extract tumor cells metastatic to cervical lymph nodes. Using high-throughput genoic techniques such as RNAseq and exome sequencing, the post-doctoral fellow will compare the mutational landmark of metastatic tumor cells with non-metastatic cells and describe the genomic aberrations/mutations most associated with gene expression changes. The applicant will work closely with biostasticians and bioinformaticians to integrate genomic and transciptomic datasets for this purpose and to determine the frequency of such genomic alterations in publicly available datasets like TCGA.

Candidates must have:
- MD and/or PhD degree in a biological science
- Primary cell culture experience
- Basic molecular biology skills (PCR, cloning, qPCR)
- Biostatical and bioinformatics background preferred
- Ideally Candidates will have:

- Experience working with murine models (preferred but not required a priori)
- Laser capture microdissection experience
- Flow Cytometry skills preferred
- Candidates need to be highly motivated and organized individuals who think independently but enjoy working as part of a dynamic, collaborative and multidisciplinary team. Excellent verbal and written communication skills are essential. The ideal candidate will have a strong research background with robust skills in human solid tumor biology. To be successful in this position, the post-doctoral research fellow must be highly motivated and driven to establish a career as a future investigator.