Postdoctoral Scientist

ABOUT THE UNIT

The Translational Cancer Biology Research Unit identifies and investigates the unique and critical genetic, molecular and cellular changes underlying cancer development, particularly in cancers that disproportionately affect Asians. Our work provides insights into disease mechanisms with implications for the development of improved therapies for cancers. The unit leverages on genome-wide scale CRISPR/Cas9 screens, high throughput drug screens and other multi-omics to identify novel targets for therapeutic development, as well as uncovering the mechanism of action of drugs with their associated biomarkers and devise novel combination treatment strategies.

JOB SCOPE

The Postdoctoral Scientist will be responsible for delivering milestones of the research program. Specifically, he/she will be assisting the Head of the Research Unit to plan, design and conduct experiments to identify and elucidate the roles of novel immunomodulatory targets in head and neck cancer models. Besides, the Postdoctoral Scientist will also work on investigating the mechanism of action of any associated drug(s) as monotherapy and when in combination with other standard of care therapies, especially immunotherapy. The work includes using cell and molecular biology techniques such as cell culture, knock-in/knock-out experiments, cell viability assays, RT-PCR, Western blot, flow cytometry, and the use of in vitro and in vivo models. The postdoctoral scientist will also be contributing towards the development of three-dimensional spheroids co-culture with immune cells, downstream functional assays and corresponding imaging techniques, establishing the complete workflow for evaluation of immunomodulatory essential genes that can be used for various cancer types.

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. To assist in establishing the study design, conducting experiments aligning with program objectives
2. To assist the Head of the Research Unit to prepare and compete for grant applications to ensure the sustainability of the program
3. To ensure that the research program meet external and internal milestones, and to be responsible for drafting and submitting the necessary reports.
4. To ensure that the collaborations are established and maintained to meet agreed external and internal milestones
5. To supervise and mentor research associates, students and other internal as well as external scientists, as and when required
6. To communicate project or experiment results effectively
7. To resolve problems and to work towards timely and high-quality project completion
8. To assist internal stakeholders to meet external and internal milestones, and to be responsible for drafting and submitting necessary reports
9. Other responsibilities include:

• To deputise for the Head of Research Unit when appropriate
• To represent Cancer Research Malaysia when appropriate
• To take responsibility for designated projects as necessary
• To undertake other administrative tasks as required

QUALIFICATIONS

• Educated to PhD level with relevant experience in cancer biology; or Master’s degree with at least 2-3 years of relevant experience in cancer biology.
• Experience and skills in molecular and cell biology (experience in animal studies will be an advantage)
• Experience with processing and analysing genomic and transcriptomics data
• Experience in presenting scientific data both in spoken (conference) or written (publication) form
• Experience in study design and grant writing
• Driven by a strong sense of making an impact, with problem-solving skills, including conflict resolution skills
• The ability to prioritise own workload and work to deadlines
• Adopts a pro-active attitude to work
• Assumes full responsibilities within role
• Passion for CRMY's mission