Special Instruction to Applicants: Please attach a cover letter and a resume in the Supporting Documents section of the application.

Position Summary

Dr. Gang Bao and Dr. Kevin McHugh seek to hire a joint postdoctoral associate working in the area of in vivo genome editing for cancer immunotherapy. The successful candidate will be able to leverage Bao and McHugh Labs’ combined strength in genome editing, nanotechnology, and immunotherapy to advance a personalized cancer immunotherapy with the potential to be translated to the clinic. Both the Bao and McHugh Labs are housed within the Department of Bioengineering at Rice University (Houston, TX), which is located immediately adjacent to the Texas Medical Center—the largest medical center in the world. This strategic positioning of the Bioengineering Department facilitates collaborative projects with clinician-scientists at leading medical institutions, including MD Anderson Cancer Center, the Baylor College of Medicine, and Houston Methodist Hospital, potentially leading to first-in-human clinical trials.

The postdoctoral researcher selected for this position will lead an interdisciplinary project that aims to develop a personalized immunotherapy using genome editing tools; therefore, expertise in CRISPR/Cas9 based gene editing is required. The ideal candidate would also be creative, highly motivated, possess strong written and oral communication skills, and have experience with nanoparticle delivery, immunological studies, and/or preclinical tumor models. As a senior member of the lab, the candidate will have the opportunity to mentor graduate students and participate in writing research proposals. The postdoctoral fellow will benefit from personalized mentorship from the PIs, and gain new technical skills.

This position is available immediately; however, the start date is flexible and could be delayed based on the candidate’s needs. Applicants should also specify if they would require visa sponsorship within their applications.

The starting salary for this position is based on the current NIH postdoc pay scale .

We are seeking candidates who have demonstrated an ability to lead and/or work collaboratively in teams comprised of individuals of diverse backgrounds, skills, and perspectives.

We seek greater representation of women, minorities, people with disabilities, and veterans in disciplines in which they have historically been underrepresented; to attract international students from a wider range of countries and backgrounds; to accelerate progress in building a faculty and staff who are diverse in background and thought; and we support an inclusive environment that fosters interaction and understanding within our diverse community.

The George R. Brown School of Engineering ranks among the top 20 undergraduate engineering programs (US News & World Report) and is strongly committed to nurturing the aspirations of faculty, staff and students in an inclusive environment.

Rice University is an Equal Opportunity Employer with a commitment to diversity at all levels and considers for employment qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status.

Essential Functions

• Uses CRISPR/Cas9 to edit primary cell and cell lines in vitro
• Designs CRISPR guide RNAs and donor DNA templates
• Performs cell culture studies
• Performs in vivo experiments with relevant animal models
• Publishes papers and presents findings at national and international conferences
• Helps develop collaborations across institutions and disciplines
• Performs all other duties as assigned

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. or other doctoral degree in bioengineering, biology, immunology, chemical engineering, or a related field
• No experience required
• Skills Required
  • Expertise in CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing
  • Familiarity with genome editing, nanotechnology, and immunotherapy
  • Knowledge of animal models relevant to genome editing
  • Knowledge of experimental design, data analysis, manuscript preparation, and submission
  • Ability to overcome challenging technical problems through literature review and careful experimentation
  • Strong written and oral communication skills
  • Ability to work both independently and collaboratively

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in cancer immunotherapy, immunology, or nanoparticle preparation
• Experience working with preclinical cancer models
• Experience with flow cytometry
• A passion for translational research

Rice University is an Equal Opportunity Employer with commitment to diversity at all levels, and considers for employment qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability or protected veteran status.

Current Rice University COVID policies, which include vaccination, face mask, testing, gatherings, occupancy limits, and travel policies can be found here: https://coronavirus.rice.edu/policies