Postdoc/Research Technician Position in Fibroblast Biology at UT Southwestern Medical Center Full-time

With over 75 years of excellence in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, UT Southwestern Medical Center is committed to excellence, innovation, teamwork, and compassion. As a world-renowned medical and research center, we strive to provide the best possible care, resources, and benefits for our valued patients and employees. With over 20,000 employees, we are committed to continuing our growth with the best professionals in the healthcare industry. We invite you to be a part of the UT Southwestern team where you’ll discover teamwork, professionalism, and consistent opportunities for growth. UT Southwestern provides an outstanding and highly interactive scientific environment for research. In 2021, Nature Index ranked UT Southwestern as the No.1 healthcare institution globally in biomedical sciences. Among UT Southwestern’s faculty, there are six Nobel Prize recipients since 1985, 26 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 17 members of the National Academy of Medicine, and 14 HHMI Investigators.

A postdoc position and a research technician position are available in the laboratory of Dr. Huocong Huang at UT Southwestern to study fibroblasts in cancer and fibrotic diseases. We will employ in vivo models, mouse genetics, lineage tracing techniques and single-cell multiomics to understand the biology of fibroblast progenitor cells and fibroblasts. Our ultimate goal is to develop novel therapeutic strategies that can specifically target fibroblasts in the settings of cancer and fibrotic diseases.     

Dr. Huang is an incoming tenure-track Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery and Principal Investigator in Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research at UT Southwestern. He received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from University of Nebraska Medical Center and postdoctoral training at UT Southwestern. His postdoctoral research studied the function of cancer-associated fibroblasts and extracellular matrix in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. He also examined the therapeutic potential of these stromal targets using animal models. By exploiting single-cell transcriptomic and lineage tracing techniques, he has identified mesothelial cell as a cell of origin of a unique subset of cancer-associated fibroblasts that can directly regulate the immune system and contribute to immune evasion in cancer. These studies led to high-profile first author/corresponding author publications in Cancer Cell, EMBO Molecular Medicine, JCI Insight, Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, Journal of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Cancer Therapeutics.

Prospective postdocs and research technicians will have the opportunity to work on multiple promising research directions:

·       Understand the immune-regulating mechanisms of fibroblasts

·       Identify novel signaling pathways that determine the cell fate of fibroblasts

·       Understand the crosstalk between fibroblast progenitors and cancer cells

·       Develop novel therapeutic tools that target fibroblasts

For postdoc, candidates must hold a recent Ph.D. or M.D., Ph.D. degree. Experience in cancer biology, immunology, molecular biology, developmental biology and bioinformatics resulting in publications in high-profile journals is preferred. Information on our postdoctoral training program, benefits, and a virtual tour can be found at http://www.utsouthwestern.edu/postdocs. 

For research technician, candidates must have a bachelor degree in life science or related majors. Basic skills in cellular and molecular biology are preferred but not required, such as cell culture, PCR, molecular cloning, western blot, immunohistochemistry and mouse handling. This position will be great for a college graduate who is interested in our research topic and is working towards medical or graduate school. The successful applicant will be in an energetic and inclusive environment that supports personal and professional development. The PI will provide hands-on training directly and opportunities to contribute to publications.

UT Southwestern Medical Center is committed to an educational and working environment that provides equal opportunity to all members of the University community.  As an equal opportunity employer, UT Southwestern prohibits unlawful discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, or veteran status. 

Interested individuals should email a CV, statement of interests, and a list of three references to:

Huocong Huang, M.D., Ph.D.

UT Southwestern Medical Center

5323 Harry Hines Blvd.  Dallas, TX 75390

huocong.huang@utsouthwestern.edu

https://profiles.utsouthwestern.edu/profile/171990/huocong-huang.html

Tagged as: Life Sciences