Postdoctoral Fellow

University of Colorado • Aurora, CO

1d • Onsite

About The Position

This position reports directly to Dr. Austin Gillen and is responsible for developing, executing, and analyzing data from research projects investigating how post-transcriptional regulation, RNA processing, and cellular heterogeneity shape cancer cell states in myeloid malignancies (e.g., acute myeloid leukemia and myelodysplastic neoplasms). The position is an opportunity for a bright, creative, and enthusiastic individual to advance their career by performing impactful, cutting-edge biomedical research that integrates wet-lab experimentation with computational and bioinformatic analysis.

Requirements

• A doctoral level degree (PhD, MD, MD/PhD) in molecular biology, genomics, immunology, or equivalent from an accredited institution.
• At least one first-author publication in an internationally recognized, peer-reviewed journal.
• Candidates must be able to work with human biospecimens and other potentially biohazardous research materials.

Nice To Haves

• Graduate training in a biomedical laboratory setting studying molecular biology, genomics, immunology, hematology, or a related field.
• Experience with single-cell genomic techniques (e.g., single-cell RNA sequencing, single-cell multi-omic or spatial profiling).
• Experience with high-throughput screening approaches or analysis of large-scale genomic or clinical datasets.
• Proficiency in R and/or Python for bioinformatic analysis, including common single-cell analysis toolkits, and experience working in high-performance computing (HPC) environments.
• Experience with flow cytometry and standard molecular and cell biology techniques (e.g., cell culture, nucleic acid extraction, cloning).
• Experience processing, harmonizing, and quality-controlling single-cell datasets at production scale (e.g., building or maintaining an analysis pipeline across a multi-sample clinical cohort spanning hundreds of specimens) rather than single-experiment analyses alone.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and as a team member within a research environment.
• Ability to work efficiently and effectively with computer software, including common bioinformatic/statistical software and Microsoft Office.
• Skilled with the use of aseptic mammalian cell culture techniques.
• Skilled with common laboratory techniques and equipment, and/or computational and statistical analysis methods, consistent with PhD-level graduate training.
• Ability to commit to an independent scientific career in cancer biology, genomics, or a related field, with a proven high degree of independence and self-motivation to achieve these ends.
• Ability to work a flexible schedule based on the needs of the project.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute single-cell genomic experiments (e.g., single-cell RNA sequencing and related single-cell/multi-omic assays) on patient-derived and model samples.
• Contribute to high-throughput screening and profiling efforts, including analysis of large patient cohorts and/or functional assays, to identify mechanisms of disease progression and treatment resistance.
• Perform bioinformatic analysis of single-cell and genomic datasets, including scripting and pipeline development in R and/or Python.
• Contribute to the development, testing, and maintenance of reproducible software tools and computational methods for single-cell and genomic data analysis, in collaboration with the lab’s methods-development efforts.
• Develop and apply flow cytometry, molecular biology, and cell biology assays to generate and validate experimental findings.
• Design and implement projects relating to the laboratory’s overall research program.
• Analyze, interpret, and fully document experimental results.
• Collaborate with computational and clinical colleagues across the Division of Hematology and Department of Medicine on shared datasets and cross-disciplinary projects.
• Prepare data and manuscripts for publication.
• Prepare grant proposals to obtain independent post-doctoral funding.
• Actively participate in and present data at group meetings, journal clubs, and conferences.
• Work in conjunction with the PI and other lab staff to achieve programmatic goals, including student and staff mentorship.
• To fulfill job requirements, candidates must receive training and adhere to institutional standards of best practice in laboratory safety, biosafety, data security, and other areas as determined by the institution and/or PI.
• Other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package
• 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