Assistant Research Professor – Brain Tumor Immunology and Therapeutic Delivery

City of Hope•Duarte, CA

8d•Onsite

About The Position

Join the forefront of groundbreaking research at City of Hope where we're changing lives and making a real difference in the fight against cancer, diabetes, and other life-threatening illnesses. Our dedicated and compassionate faculty and staff are driven by a common mission: Contribute to innovative approaches in predicting, preventing, and curing diseases, shaping the future of medicine through cutting-edge research. The laboratory of Dr. Behnam Badie has an opportunity to join his team as an Assistant Research Professor. Dr. Badie is a physician‑scientist and neurosurgeon who leads a highly translational research program focused on immunology, neuroinflammation, and therapeutic innovation for malignant brain tumors.

Requirements

PhD, MD, or MD/PhD in oncology, cancer biology, immunology, immunotherapy, biomedical engineering, or related fields.
Expertise in siRNA/ASO therapeutics, nanoparticle delivery systems, gene editing technologies, protein engineering, antibody or fusion-protein design, and translational immunology.
Strong publication record and evidence of scientific independence.
Experience mentoring postdoctoral fellows and technical staff.
Demonstrated or potential ability to obtain extramural funding.

Responsibilities

Investigate the role of myeloid-derived cells, neuroinflammation, and tumor-immune interactions in malignant brain tumor progression and therapeutic resistance.
Identify therapeutic opportunities through Receptor for Advanced Glycation End products (RAGE) pathway targeting, gene regulation, and evaluation of novel small-molecule RAGE inhibitors in preclinical models.
Develop and optimize cell-penetrating oligonucleotides, including siRNA and antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs), to modulate gene expression in tumor cells and myeloid populations.
Design, validate, and advance nanoparticle-based delivery systems for siRNA, ASOs, gene-editing tools, and small molecules.
Engineer delivery strategies that enhance blood-brain barrier penetration, tumor specificity, cellular uptake, and immune compatibility.
Evaluate pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, efficacy, and toxicity in relevant in vitro and in vivo brain tumor models.
Apply CRISPR-based gene editing, gene regulation, functional genomics, transcriptomics, and immunophenotyping approaches to study tumor progression and immune response.
Develop translational therapeutic strategies, including nucleic-acid-based immunotherapies, immune-cell-based drug delivery approaches, CAR T-cell collaborations, and bioengineering/device development efforts.