About Us:

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, home of three Nobel laureates, is an independent, nonprofit research institution dedicated to the development and advancement of biomedical research to eliminate cancer and other potentially fatal diseases. Recognized internationally for its pioneering work in bone-marrow transplantation, the Center’s five scientific divisions collaborate to form a unique environment for conducting basic and applied science. The Hutchinson Center, in collaboration with its clinical and research partners, the University of Washington and Seattle Children’s, is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center in the Pacific Northwest. Join us and make a difference!

About the Department:

A postdoctoral position is available at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, WA, USA, for a candidate to explore the fast-developing and highly interdisciplinary field of immunobioengineering for adoptive T-cell therapy. Using next-generation immunomodulatory synthetic materials, the postdoctoral fellow will develop new approaches - beyond existing T-cell-based therapies to therapeutically manipulate the immune system against cancer.  Dr. Matthias Stephan’s laboratory in the Clinical Research Division is working at the interface of bioengineering and immunology to enhance adoptive T-cell therapy against cancer using synthetic biomaterials (Stephan et al., Nat Med. 2010,  Nano Today 2011, Biomaterials 2012).

Responsibilities:

The postdoctoral fellow will fabricate stimulatory biomaterial devices, drug delivery systems and bioactive substances and test their therapeutic potential in preclinical tumor models of adoptive T-cell therapy. The FHCRC provides one of the nation's top programs for postdoctoral training, in an academic environment with clinical and translational research opportunities.

Qualifications:

A highly motivated candidate is sought with a recent PhD in a relevant field, preferably including training in immunology. The candidate must have a strong knowledge of primary immune cell isolation and culture, and advanced training in techniques involved with the establishment and handling of advanced in vivo murine tumor models. The position further requires standard molecular biology skills (cloning, PCR, construct design). The successful candidate will be a scientifically driven, well organized self-starter.

Pay and Benefits:

Salary on the NIH scale + excellent benefits.

Please note that the position will not start until November 2012.

Equal Employment Opportunity:

The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and The Seattle Cancer Care Alliance are equal opportunity employers, committed to workforce diversity.

To apply:

To apply for this position, please email a:

1) A cover letter summarizing your interest in this position, previous work experience and your future research interests

2) Your CV

3) Contact information for three professional references

to   mstephan@fhcrc.org

Matthias Stephan

mstephan@fhcrc.org

Clinical Research Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

Seattle, USA