Position Description

Postdoctoral positions in cancer genomics, evolution and immunology

The Westcott Laboratory at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory is seeking applications for postdoctoral candidates to carry our experimental and/or computational work aimed at understanding how cancer coevolves with the immune system in mouse models and clinical colorectal cancer specimens. The research program will involve modeling cancer clonal evolution under different immunogenic contexts in powerful new mouse models we have developed, and will incorporate cutting-edge techniques in multiomics and spatial biology, for which the lab has recently obtained funding.

Our group studies how the immune system shapes tumor evolution during initiation, malignant transformation, and metastasis. We aim to understand how immunosurveillance fails at these critical junctures using a multidisciplinary approach at the interface of cancer genomics and immunology. Central to our approach are next-generation mouse models that capture the mutational complexity and immune interactions of human cancer. We recently published an article (Nature Genetics, 2023) describing mouse models of lung and colon cancer with DNA mismatch repair deficiency. Despite harboring an elevated burden of mutation-associated antigens (neoantigens) capable of eliciting T cell responses, tumors in the models were not immunogenic, which we showed was due to profound intratumoral heterogeneity, or lack of clonal neoantigens.

A fundamental question we now seek to address is, “How does cancer become immunogenic?”, with the hypothesis that selective evolution in cancer reshapes the clonal architecture of neoantigens and triggers immune surveillance. Using recently developed models (unpublished), we can precisely time when and where benign-to-malignant transition occurs in physiologically rigorous disease settings. The proposed project will dissect the immediate immune and microenvironmental responses to this transition, and seek to elucidate the earliest events underlying cancer immune evasion and ultimately metastasis. This work has immediate implications for cancer prevention and treatment.
The postdoctoral position comes with opportunity to perform translationally relevant studies and collaborate directly with clinician scientists at Northwell Health, including the laboratory of Dr. Sepideh Gholami, a surgical oncologist and hepatobiliary surgeon, whose research operations are embedded in the Westcott Laboratory.

Position Requirements

The successful candidate should have a PhD in the fields of Cancer, Genetics, Immunology, Computational Biology, or related field, with extensive expertise working with small animal models and/or bioinformatic analysis of genomics and single cell sequencing datasets, and one or more relevant first-author research publications and/or pre-print. The candidate is expected to take initiative and think independently as well as work collaboratively in a team-oriented setting, with a strong sense of integrity and commitment to scientific rigor.

Supplemental Information

How to Apply:
For immediate consideration, kindly apply to the online application found here: Postdoctoral Fellow- Westcott Lab Position ID 681

Environment
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory is a world-renowned biomedical research institution in New York. It has shaped contemporary biomedical research and is the home of eight Nobel Prize laureates. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory provides a highly dynamic and interactive research environment and also a unique opportunity of timely exposure to advances in various biomedical research fields and of interaction with a broad range of researchers from all over the world through its renowned Meetings and Courses program. We believe that science is for everyone. We have had researchers with a variety of backgrounds and believe in the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Compensation & Benefits
Our employees are compensated in many ways for their contributions to our mission, including competitive pay, exceptional health benefits, retirement plans, paid time off, and a range of recognition and wellness programs. Visit our CSHL Benefits , Postdoctoral Landing  sites to learn more. The salary range and/or hourly rate listed is a good faith determination of potential base compensation that may be offered to a successful applicant for this position at the time of this job advertisement and may be modified in the future. When determining a base salary and/or rate, several factors may be considered as applicable (e.g., years of relevant experience, education, credentials, and internal equity). The salary for the role is $70,000 per annum.

We strongly recommend to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 however; it is not a requirement for employment.

CSHL is an EO/AA Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability or protected veteran status. VEVRAA Federal Contractor