The laboratories of Drs. Pinaki Bose and Douglas Mahoney are looking for an outstanding postdoctoral fellow for a three-year term with the possibility of extension based on funding availability. Our overall goal is to identify and characterize genes and pathways that regulate lymph node metastasis in oral cancer. We will employ a CRISPR-Cas9-based genome-wide screening approach to identify metastatic regulators, followed by functional genomic characterization of screen hits. The candidate will have access to patient-derived tissue samples and tissue microarrays containing normal, primary tumour and metastasis tissues. These will be used to validate screen hits and develop prognostic and therapeutic biomarkers. There will also be opportunities to perform in vivo screens in xenograft mouse models.
Dr. Bose is the Director of Translational Research for the Ohlson Research Initiative (ORI). The ORI is a clinical and translational head and neck cancer research program within the Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute (ACCI), University of Calgary. The Bose lab is investigating mechanisms underlying head and neck carcinogenesis and progression. Dr. Mahoney is an expert in oncolytic virus therapy and directs a fully automated high-throughput screening facility within ACCI. The successful candidate will work in close collaboration with the Bose and Mahoney labs.
Although funding is available for a three-year period to support this position, the candidate will be encouraged to apply for external, peer-reviewed fellowships. The successful candidate will be enrolled in a comprehensive benefits program designed to promote a productive level of health and well-being in Postdoctoral Scholars through coverage for - health, dental, life insurance, Accidental Death & Dismemberment, and income protection for disability.
The responsibilities of this position will include:
• Develop and optimize in vitro assays for invasion and metastasis
• Develop xenograft models of lymph node metastasis
• Generate oral cancer cell lines stably-expressing Cas9 and other proteins
• Develop and execute CRISPR-Cas9-based screens
• Analyze next-generation sequencing (NGS) data to interpret the read-out of CRISPR-Cas9-based screens
• Analyze NGS data from existing databases such as the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), etc.
• Prepare manuscripts, abstracts and presentations
Qualifications:
• Applicants should have a PhD in molecular biology, cellular biology, molecular genetics, genomics or related field
• Experience with core molecular and cell biology techniques
• A detailed understanding of human molecular genetics and cancer biology
• Experience working with the CRIPSR-Cas9 system
• An excellent record of peer-reviewed publications
• Excellent organizational, written and verbal communication skills
In addition to the above, the candidate should ideally have:
• Experience with developing and performing experiments with xenograft models
• Experience performing high-throughput functional genetic screens
• Experience working with human genomic data, particularly next generation sequencing data (WGS, RNAseq)
Application details:
Applications should be submitted by email to the following contact, with the subject line ‘CRISPR Screening Postdoc Position’. Please include a cover letter, your academic CV, and the names and contact information of at least three external references:
Dr. Pinaki Bose
Email:
[email protected]Director, Tumour Biology and Translational Research, Ohlson Research Initiative
Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute
Departments of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Surgery
University of Calgary
Mailing Address: Room 328, HMRB
3330 Hospital Drive NW
Calgary, AB, Canada T2N 4N1
