Post-Doctoral Fellow

University of Colorado • Aurora, CO

1d • Onsite

About The Position

The Division of Medical Oncology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine invites applications for a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Translational Oncology Research in the Concannon Laboratory. This is a full-time, mentored fellowship beginning March–June 2027 with an expected duration of at least three years.
The overarching goal of this fellowship is to prepare outstanding trainees for independent research careers in translational immuno-oncology, with a focus on developing next-generation cellular therapies for lung cancer.
The fellowship consists of two integrated components: scholarly research (85%25) and education/training (15%25).
The research component will focus on the development and validation of CAR T cell–based therapies designed to eradicate minimal residual disease and treatment-resistant lung cancer. The postdoctoral fellow will play a central role in experimental design, execution, data analysis, and interpretation, and will present findings regularly in one-on-one meetings, laboratory meetings, and multidisciplinary research forums.
Given the highly translational and patient-centered nature of this work, the fellow will also have opportunities to engage directly with patient advocacy organizations, including presenting findings in accessible formats and, when appropriate, contributing to public-facing educational efforts.
The remaining 15%25 of effort will be dedicated to grant writing, mentoring, didactic education, and structured professional development, with the explicit goal of supporting the fellow’s transition to independence.
This position reports to Kyle Concannon, MD, Assistant Professor and physician-scientist in the Division of Medical Oncology and a member of the Thoracic Oncology Research Initiative (TORI). Administrative and human resources support are provided by the Division of Medical Oncology.

Requirements

• PhD in biological sciences or a related field, with emphasis on cancer biology and/or cellular therapy
• Demonstrated proficiency in scientific communication, including at least one first-author peer-reviewed publication and oral presentations at scientific meetings

Nice To Haves

• Experience with R, Python, or similar programming languages
• Prior work in translational or immuno-oncology research
• Experience developing and executing in vitro and in vivo models of cellular therapies
• Experience designing, cloning, and validating CAR T or related cellular therapy constructs
• Proficiency with high-parameter flow cytometry
• Familiarity with bioinformatics workflows (e.g., single-cell RNA-seq analysis)
• Strong background in cell culture, molecular cloning, viral transduction, and molecular biology
• Strong interest in lung cancer therapeutics and targeting drug-resistance mechanisms

Responsibilities

• Design, initiate, and execute independent and collaborative research projects
• Perform rigorous literature review, data analysis, and interpretation with guidance from the PI
• Develop and validate CAR T and CAR-BiTE cellular therapy constructs
• Conduct in vitro and in vivo studies, including mouse models
• Collaborate closely with lab members and local, national, and international collaborators
• Maintain clear, transparent, and reproducible documentation of all research activities, including well-annotated and shareable code where applicable
• Present research progress at lab meetings, project meetings, and individual PI meetings
• Prepare abstracts and present findings at local, national, and international scientific conferences
• Write and publish manuscripts as first or co-author in peer-reviewed journals
• Actively pursue individual fellowship and career development awards
• Develop and document experimental workflows and protocols
• Train and mentor graduate students and research staff in relevant techniques
• Participate in career development seminars, workshops, and networking opportunities
• Develop and review an Individual Development Plan (IDP) annually with the PI
• Communicate research progress to patient advocacy groups in accessible formats
• Participate, when appropriate, in public-facing educational or outreach efforts

Benefits

• The University of Colorado offers a comprehensive benefits package.
• To see what benefits are available for Post-Doctoral Fellows, please visit: · Payroll & Benefits Orientation for Post-Doctoral Fellows | University of Colorado (cu.edu) · benefits guide cover-post-doc-2024 (cu.edu)
• The University of Colorado provides generous leave, health plans and retirement contributions that add to your bottom line.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree
• Number of Employees: 11-50 employees