Head of Experimental Sciences

UNC-Chapel Hill•Chapel Hill, NC

About The Position

Our new Center for Generative Immunotherapy (CGI), a collaborative and multidisciplinary translational tumor immunology group tasked with preclinical research and clinical trials in personalized antigen-directed immunotherapy, is seeking to hire a Head of Experimental Sciences who will be tasked with supervising and performing experimental translational research. The successful applicant will be highly skilled in tumor and immune cell enrichment and culture, cytometry, preparation of samples for immunopeptidomics, library preparation for DNA and RNA sequencing, advanced functional analysis of T cells including T cell engineering using Crispr methods, tumor antigen-specific T cell receptor repertoire profiling, and analysis of mechanisms of resistance to antigen-specific T cell cytotoxicity. They will lead a team analyzing human tumor and immune cell samples from biobanks and real-time in the context of personalized antigen-directed immunotherapy clinical trials. The successful applicant will be able to conceive, plan, and execute experiments independently, as well as to analyze data and lead a team in executing research goals in collaboration with program directors and other lab members. Beyond cytometry and functional T cell studies, experimental work will include single cell transcriptomic and T cell receptor analyses using human cell lines, primary tumor samples, and primary peripheral blood samples, cell enrichment and organoid preparation, generation of T cell receptor engineered T cell (TCR-T) products, and evaluation of TCR-T performance characteristics using primary tumor cells and organoids. They will be responsible for generating experimental SOPs, progress tracking, and training of experimental staff. There will be substantial interaction with lab members working in bioinformatics and computational biology as well as opportunity for training in these areas if the applicant desires. As part of this work, they will be expected to lead and contribute to academic products including presentations, manuscripts, and patents deriving from their experimental results. If desired, the applicant will have the opportunity to be the lead author on presentations, manuscripts, and grants derived from their work. They will also be responsible for data reporting according to sponsor requests and assisting computational staff with data management and data sharing.

Requirements

PhD in Immunology or in a related discipline with extensive immunology training
At least five years post-PhD experience in immunology research
Technical expertise in tumor and immune cell enrichment and culture
Technical expertise in cytometry
Technical expertise in preparation of samples for immunopeptidomics
Technical expertise in library preparation for DNA and RNA sequencing
Technical expertise in advanced functional analysis of T cells including T cell engineering using Crispr methods
Technical expertise in tumor antigen-specific T cell receptor repertoire profiling
Technical expertise in analysis of mechanisms of resistance to antigen-specific T cell cytotoxicity
Technical expertise in single cell transcriptomic and T cell receptor analyses using human cell lines, primary tumor samples, and primary peripheral blood samples
Technical expertise in cell enrichment and organoid preparation
Technical expertise in generation of T cell receptor engineered T cell (TCR-T) products
Technical expertise in evaluation of TCR-T performance characteristics using primary tumor cells and organoids
Experience with processing and analysis of primary human samples
Experience in supervision, mentorship, training, and leadership of experimental scientists in a goal-oriented team environment
Excellence in experimental planning, execution, and project management in research collaborations
Excellent skills in verbal and written communication

Nice To Haves

PhD in related discipline

Responsibilities

Supervising and performing experimental translational research.
Leading a team analyzing human tumor and immune cell samples from biobanks and real-time in the context of personalized antigen-directed immunotherapy clinical trials.
Conceiving, planning, and executing experiments independently.
Analyzing data and leading a team in executing research goals in collaboration with program directors and other lab members.
Generating experimental SOPs, progress tracking, and training of experimental staff.
Leading and contributing to academic products including presentations, manuscripts, and patents deriving from their experimental results.
Data reporting according to sponsor requests.
Assisting computational staff with data management and data sharing.