Postdoctoral Research Associate – Geeleher Lab (dry lab)
About The Position
A postdoctoral research associate position is available in the Geeleher Lab, a hybrid wet-dry lab focused on improving outcomes for children with cancer, particularly neuroblastoma and other high-risk pediatric solid tumors. The lab integrates computational and AI-based analysis of high-throughput genomics datasets with wet-bench experimental work and is supported by NIH and institutional funding. The dry-lab postdoctoral scientist will lead computational and AI/ML-driven work to identify therapeutic target pairs from atlas-scale pediatric single-cell and spatial transcriptomic datasets. The research will develop AI- and agent-based approaches to nominate cell-surface antigen combinations for emerging dual-targeted and logic-gated therapeutic strategies, including AND-gated bispecific antibody-drug conjugates and logic-gated cellular therapies. Prioritized candidates may advance through experimental validation and preclinical development in collaboration with the integrated wet-dry lab. The candidate will also be co-mentored by Anand Patel, M.D., Ph.D., a pediatric oncologist in the St. Jude Department of Oncology. The successful candidate will be supported in pursuing academic or industry career objectives, including grant and fellowship writing if interested in an academic faculty path. The position is 100% on-site in Memphis, Tennessee. Relocation assistance is available. Salary and benefits follow the St. Jude postdoctoral compensation scale; the starting salary is approximately $85,000.
Requirements
- Ph.D. degree or equivalent in Computational Biology, Genetics/Genomics, Bioinformatics, Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics, or a related field.
- Strong background in quantitative/computational biology or a related field.
- Very strong commitment to rigor and scientific integrity.
- Proficiency in a major programming language used for data analysis, such as R or Python.
- Scientific writing skills, including experience contributing to or drafting manuscripts.
- Strong written and spoken English, presentation, and communication skills.
- Ability to rapidly learn, optimize, and implement new or advanced techniques as required by the evolving research direction.
- Experience leading or substantially driving a complex research project, evidenced by a first-author paper or similar tangible contribution.
Nice To Haves
- Experience with single-cell or spatial transcriptomic analysis.
- Experience with machine learning, LLMs, AI agents, multimodal data integration, or automated biological interpretation workflows.
- Experience in pediatric cancer.
Responsibilities
- Lead independent computational and AI research projects identifying and prioritizing candidate targets for emerging bispecific therapeutic strategies in pediatric cancers.
- Develop AI and agent-based workflows integrating large-scale single-cell, spatial transcriptomic, bulk genomic, functional-genomic, and pharmacologic datasets to nominate disease-selective vulnerabilities and target combinations.
- Nominate disease-selective cell-surface antigens and antigen combinations based on malignant-cell specificity, co-expression, spatial localization, normal-tissue expression, targetability, and therapeutic rationale.
- Work with wet-lab scientists to design follow-up validation studies and interpret experimental results in the context of large-scale datasets.
- Generate publication-quality analyses, figures, and visualizations, and contribute to study design, data interpretation, and project strategy.
- Lead projects toward publication, including drafting manuscripts, preparing methods and results sections, and responding to reviewer comments.
- Present research findings at lab meetings, institutional seminars, collaborative meetings, and scientific conferences.
- Mentor junior lab members and contribute to a collaborative wet-dry lab environment.
Benefits
- Relocation assistance is available.
- Salary and benefits follow the St. Jude postdoctoral compensation scale.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
Ph.D. or professional degree
