Post Doctoral Research Fellow

University of Colorado • Aurora, CO

1d • $63,480 - $77,076 • Onsite

About The Position

The Jacob Houghton Lab is recruiting a postdoctoral associate for a funded position focused on developing and evaluating next-generation radiopharmaceuticals for cancer imaging and targeted radionuclide therapy. This position will support translational research at the interface of radiochemistry, molecular imaging, bioconjugation, cancer biology, and preclinical therapy studies. The postdoc will contribute to projects involving radiolabeled antibodies, antibody fragments, peptides, small molecules, or pre-targeted imaging and therapy platforms, with applications in PET/SPECT imaging, biodistribution, dosimetry, and targeted alpha- or beta-particle therapy.

Requirements

• PhD, MD/PhD, PharmD/PhD, or equivalent doctoral degree in chemistry, radiochemistry, chemical biology, chemical engineering, biomedical engineering, pharmaceutical sciences, molecular imaging, cancer biology, molecular biology, or a related biomedical sciences field.
• Prior hands-on experience with radiochemistry, radiolabeling, radioactive material handling, radiopharmaceutical therapy, radiotracer development, or closely related radiopharmaceutical research.
• A strong interest in cancer imaging, targeted radionuclide therapy, radiopharmaceutical development, or translational oncology.
• Demonstrated ability to design, execute, analyze, and interpret rigorous experiments.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to work independently while contributing to a collaborative, multidisciplinary research team.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with alpha- or beta-particle radiopharmaceutical therapy.
• Experience with radiolabeled antibodies, antibody fragments, peptides, nanoparticles, small molecules, or pretargeted imaging/therapy systems.
• Experience with PET, SPECT, biodistribution studies, dosimetry, or quantitative imaging analysis.
• Experience with in vivo tumor models, including xenograft, orthotopic, metastatic, or patient-derived models.
• Experience with in vitro cancer biology assays, including 2D or 3D cell culture, organoids, viability assays, receptor binding/internalization assays, clonogenic survival, DNA damage assays, immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, Western blotting, or IHC.
• Experience with bioconjugation, antibody characterization, protein chemistry, size-exclusion chromatography, HPLC, stability testing, or related analytical methods.
• Experience analyzing and visualizing data using GraphPad Prism, ImageJ/FIJI, FlowJo, Python, R, CellProfiler, or related platforms.
• Experience preparing manuscripts, fellowship applications, grant applications, presentations, SOPs, IACUC protocols, radiation safety documentation, or regulatory-style reports.
• Evidence of scientific leadership, collaboration, mentorship, and ability to move projects from experimental planning through publication.

Responsibilities

• Design and conduct preclinical radiopharmaceutical research studies across multiple stages of development.
• Perform radiolabeling procedures and quality control testing to ensure compound integrity and performance.
• Execute bioconjugation and in vitro characterization studies to evaluate radiopharmaceutical properties.
• Develop and maintain mammalian cell cultures and tumor models for experimental research.
• Conduct PET/SPECT imaging, biodistribution, dosimetry, and therapeutic efficacy studies.
• Analyze tissues and investigate biological mechanisms underlying treatment response.
• Contribute to translational molecular imaging, radiopharmaceutical development, and cancer therapy research, leveraging prior radiochemistry or radiopharmaceutical therapy experience to build an independent research program.

Benefits

• Generous leave
• Health plans
• Retirement contributions

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree