Postdoctoral Fellow, Tumor Microenvironment of Gastrointestinal (GI) Cancers

Biohub • New York, NY

6d • $93,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Biohub is a 501(c)(3) biomedical research organization building the first large-scale scientific initiative combining frontier AI with frontier biology to solve disease. We build the technology to help scientists around the world use AI-powered biology to study how cells operate, organize, and work as part of systems to understand why disease happens and how to correct it. With our compute capacity, AI research and engineering, and state-of-the-art technology for measuring, imaging, and programming biology, we are enabling scientists worldwide to use AI-powered biology to advance our understanding of human health.
The Team
The Biohub in New York is an independent nonprofit research institute that brings together three powerhouse universities - Columbia University, The Rockefeller University, and Yale University - into a single collaborative technology and discovery engine. Biohub itself supports some of the brightest, boldest engineers, data scientists, and biomedical researchers to investigate the fundamental mechanisms underlying disease and develop new technologies that will lead to actionable diagnostics and effective therapies. We are guided by our values of scholarly excellence; disruptive innovation; hands-on engineering/hacking/building; partnership and collaboration; open communication and respect; inclusiveness; and opportunity for all.
Our Vision
We pursue large scientific challenges that cannot be pursued in conventional environments
We enable individual investigators to pursue their riskiest and most innovative ideas
The technologies developed at Biohub facilitate research by scientists and clinicians at our home institutions and beyond
Diversity of thought, ideas, and perspectives are at the heart of Biohub and enable disruptive innovation and scholarly excellence. We are committed to cultivating an organization where all colleagues feel inspired and know their work makes an important contribution.
The Laboratory of Immunogenomics at biohub NY (www.mahatlab.com) studies the non-coding regulatory genome to understand and address immune dysfunction in diseases like cancer, autoimmune disorders, and aging. We focus on enhancers—non-coding, highly cell–type–specific transcriptional regulatory elements—and their role in shaping immune responses.
We develop and utilize genomic technologies, including bulk and single-cell nascent RNA sequencing, genome editing, immune engineering, and CRISPR-based functional screens in patient biopsies, organoid systems, and mouse models. Through computational analysis integrating machine learning and AI, we map enhancer–gene networks and identify disease-driving elements. Our goal is to advance enhancer-guided precision genomic medicine for diseases involving immune dysfunction.
The Opportunity
We are seeking a Postdoctoral Fellow to lead research on the immune and stromal components of the tumor microenvironment (TME) in gastrointestinal cancers. The goal is to identify and characterize the cancer-cell intrinsic and extrinsic regulatory mechanisms that influence pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory immune dynamics, with the aim of developing new therapeutic targets and improving existing treatments such as immune checkpoint inhibitors and combination therapies.

This role will involve in vivo studies using genetically engineered mouse models (GEMMs), syngeneic and patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models, and human patient-derived organoids. The project integrates immunology, cancer biology, stromal biology, and translational research in close collaboration with multidisciplinary teams.

Requirements

• PhD in Immunology, Cancer Biology, Molecular Biology, or a related field.
• Expertise in tumor immunology and/or stromal biology, ideally in GI cancers or other solid tumors.
• Experience with mouse cancer models (GEMMs, syngeneic, PDX).
• Proficiency in immune profiling and functional assays.
• Skills in primary immune cell and organoid culture.
• Strong publication record in relevant fields.
• Ability to lead projects independently and work in collaborative teams.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with CAF biology, fibrosis, and ECM biology.
• Familiarity with immune checkpoint blockade and combination therapy studies.
• Skills in spatial transcriptomics, multiplex IHC/IF, or advanced imaging.
• Experience analyzing single-cell sequencing data and integrating bulk omics datasets.
• Working knowledge of CRISPR editing in primary cells or organoids.
• Interest in translational research and collaboration with clinical partners.

Responsibilities

• Profile immune cell populations in TME using flow cytometry, single-cell RNA-seq, and spatial transcriptomics.
• Assess immune cell function via cytokine/chemokine measurement, cytotoxicity assays, and antigen presentation studies.
• Characterize the balance between pro- and anti-inflammatory cell populations during tumor progression and treatment.
• Characterize cancer-associated fibroblast (CAF) subtypes and their impact on immune modulation and therapy resistance.
• Study extracellular matrix remodeling and fibrosis-associated immunosuppression in tumors.
• Identify stromal targets that could enhance immune infiltration or therapy delivery.
• Maintain and use GEMMs, syngeneic, and PDX models of GI cancers.
• Conduct orthotopic and subcutaneous transplantation studies.
• Perform pre-clinical therapeutic studies with ICIs, stromal modulators, and other immunotherapies.
• Monitor tumor progression using in vivo imaging and histopathology.
• Establish and genetically manipulate patient-derived organoids from primary and metastatic tumors.
• Co-culture organoids with immune cells to model tumor–immune interactions.
• Apply CRISPR editing to test candidate genes, regulatory elements, and pathways.
• Collaborate with computational teams to integrate multi-omics datasets and apply machine learning to identify biomarkers and predictive signatures of therapy response.
• Link experimental findings to patient datasets for translational prioritization.
• Present at scientific conferences, publish in peer-reviewed journals, and contribute to grant proposals.

Benefits

• Provides a generous employer match on employee 401(k) contributions to support planning for the future.
• Paid time off to volunteer at an organization of your choice.
• Funding for select family-forming benefits.
• Relocation support for employees who need assistance moving

What This Job Offers

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