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Postdoctoral Fellowships: Immuno-Oncology (Please specify the project(s) applying)

Employer
Centre for Oncology and Immunology
Location
Hong Kong (HK)
Salary
A highly competitive salary will be offered, in addition to annual leave and medical benefits.
Closing date
8 Oct 2024
Website
https://www.coinno.hk/

Job Details

Organizational background

The Centre for Oncology and Immunology aims to identify novel, “druggable” cancer targets for hard-to-treat malignancies using functional screens, animal and cell models (including organoids), immuno-oncology approaches, and advanced genomic and proteomic techniques down to single cell resolution. Our ultimate goal is to develop therapeutics against these targets, conduct clinical trials evaluating these drugs along with biomarkers, and facilitate commercialization worldwide. Success in this venture will address pressing unmet medical needs and establish Hong Kong as a leading hub of innovative anti-cancer and immuno-oncology drug development.

We currently have multiple postdoctoral fellowship positions available within our multidisciplinary research teams based In Hong Kong. These teams are involved in several collaborative projects with large international consortia and are comprised of basic researchers, clinicians, oncologists, and bioinformaticians focused on investigating the genetics and molecular biology of cancer, as well as the immune system, with the goal of devising and developing novel immunotherapies. This is an exciting opportunity to work in a dynamic and interdisciplinary environment, with the chance to contribute to a range of exciting international collaborative projects with our overseas collaborators at the University Health Network/Princess Margaret Cancer Centre (Canada) and Klinikum rechts der Isar of the Technical University of Munich (Germany).

Our Centre is involved in several cutting-edge research areas, including:

 

Project I

  • The study of cancer metabolism and tumor microenvironment formation in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and gastrointestinal cancer

Project II

  • The use of 3D organoid culture as a disease model, together with gene transfection and genome-editing techniques, to study the functional roles of novel tumor driver genes in gastrointestinal cancers

Project III

  • Synthetic lethal interactions with mutations that are commonly found in myeloid malignancies (e.g., acute myeloid leukemia) using state-of-the-art functional genomics tools, zebrafish models, as well as human and mouse in vitro and xenotransplantation platforms to identify personalized treatment for AML patients

Project IV

  • The investigation of immunosurveillance characteristics and cholinergic nerve-mediated responses in tumor progression and dissemination. The development of novel T Cell gene therapies for recalcitrant malignancies, leading to clinical trials and commercialization

Project V

  • Integrative multi-omics data analysis, involving the development and application of CRISPR tools and bioinformatics methods to integrate and analyze multi-omics data (e.g., genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) from cancer patients, with the goal of identifying novel immune-related biomarkers, molecular subtypes, and potential therapeutic targets for immuno-oncology treatment strategies and gene therapy applications

Project VI

  • Medicinal chemistry and drug development: development of new chemoproteomic-enabled identification tools for new druggable hotspots in cancers and development of novel therapeutic covalent ligands to identify new mechanism of action for anti-cancer therapy

Project VII

  • Identification of immunotherapeutic Targets for the Treatment of B-cell lymphoma and enhancement of immune receptors signal effects in therapeutic T cells.

 

Job responsibilities

Successful applicants will be expected to contribute to collaborative research projects focused on anti-cancer or immuno-oncology drug development and cancer biomarker discovery using large-scale multi-omics approaches, organoid technology, as well as novel animal models.

 

Qualifications and skills

Applicants should hold a Ph.D. degree in Biomedical Sciences, Bioengineering, or Biological Science, preferably with a focus on Cancer Biology, Immunology, Immuno-oncology, Molecular Biology, Genomics, Proteomics, Metabolomics, Bioinformatics Studies, Single Cell Technology or Medicinal Chemistry.

 

We are seeking enthusiastic applicants in possession of the following:

 

Essential Skills:

  • A proven track record of publishing academic research papers
  • Specialized research interest and experience in the relevant key research areas stated above Understanding and/or experience in immuno-bioengineering
  • Proficiency in molecular biology and cellular immunology laboratory techniques, including mammalian cell culture
  • Experience in multidisciplinary projects and international collaborations

Desirable Skills:

  • Familiarity with CRISPR/Cas9 technology, high-throughput screening techniques, next generation sequencing, and single cell sequencing technologies or;
  • Specialized research interest in multi-omics profiling, bioinformatics, cancer metabolism, medicinal chemistry, and drug discovery or;
  • Understanding and experience in development of ‘muteins’ or;
  • Understanding and experience in drug sensitivity screening and identification of new drugs for personalized cancer immuno-therapy or;
  • Experience with mouse models, organoid models, zebrafish models and/or xenograft models or;
  • Experience in animal handling techniques or;
  • Experience in clinical trial theory and practice and establishing translational research processes and infrastructures

Applicants should have a good command of written and spoken English, strong communication and presentation skills, be self-motivated, hardworking and able to work well in an interdisciplinary team.

The appointees shall work in the Hong Kong Science and Technology Park.

We welcome applications from overseas graduates who have obtained their qualifications from top 100 institutions for STEM-related subjects, as ranked by QS/Shanghai Jiao Tong University/Times Higher Education/U.S. News world university rankings.

Applicants for the Postdoctoral Fellow positions should possess a Ph.D. degree or an equivalent qualification in one of the mentioned or related disciplines.

A highly competitive salary commensurate with qualifications and experience will be offered, in addition to annual leave and medical benefits.

 

How to apply

Interested applicants should submit their up-to-date C.V., research publication list along with a cover letter highlighting their research accomplishments, and a brief statement stating the interested project (applicants may list more than one) explaining how their past research interest aligns with the key research topics of our Centre. The cover letter should also quote the job reference number and include information on current/expected remuneration and availability. All application materials should be sent to career@coinno.hk.

Review of applications will commence as soon as possible and will continue until the positions are filled.

The personal data provided during the application process will be used for recruitment and other employment-related purposed. This data may be transferred and disclosed to, and used by, HKU Innovation Holdings Limited and The University of Hong Kong for the above purposes.

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all qualified candidates.

Company

Digestive malignancies, including gastric, colorectal, liver and esophageal cancers as well as leukemias and lymphomas, are major health burdens in Asian countries. Today, gastrointestinal and liver cancers are becoming more common across Asia due to population aging, growth, and a rise in risk factors ranging from oncogenic pathogen infections to increased smoking and obesity.

Under the auspices of the InnoHK initiative, the Centre for Oncology and Immunology aims to harness the power of biotechnology to develop innovative therapies to combat these hard-to-treat malignancies and bring hope to millions of cancer patients around the world. The Centre for Oncology and Immunology is co-led by Professor Tak MAK and Professor Suet-Yi LEUNG of the Department of Pathology at HKUMed in discovering novel therapies in cancer treatment.

The Centre’s research team comprises globally renowned researchers who bring with them a wealth of complementary expertise and experience in oncology research, technology adoption, and commercialization. Individually, their research programs have led to major breakthroughs, including the devising of immunotherapy and checkpoint inhibition strategies that have been adopted as anti-cancer treatments, the establishment of next-generation organoid-based cell models for precision oncology, and the development of a diagnostic test for Lynch Syndrome (hereditary colon cancer).

The Centre will employ novel functional screens as well as genomic and proteomic techniques to identify novel "druggable" cancer targets. Leveraging the translational and clinical trial expertise of its lead scientists, the Centre will establish a number of advanced technical platforms to facilitate its overall goal of bringing candidate drugs and novel immunotherapy approaches into clinics.

As an international business hub at the heart of Asia, Hong Kong encourages collaborations between renowned research institutes and global pharmaceutical companies. Building on the city's robust healthcare system and diligent compliance with the research ethics requirements for the use of clinical samples, it will facilitate the Centre's aspiration to make Hong Kong a leading nexus of innovative anti-cancer drug discovery and production.

Company info
Website
Telephone
39103971
Location
Room 1108, 11/F, Building 17W,
Hong Kong Science Park
Hong Kong
Hong Kong
0000
HK

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