Postdoctoral Research Scientist

The Vasan Lab (vasanlab.com) at the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center at Columbia University Medical Center is seeking a postdoctoral candidate for a fully funded position through the NIH Director's New Innovator Award (DP2) (https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10687392).

Our laboratory specializes in breast cancer, with a particular focus on understanding the molecular mechanisms of how kinases regulate breast cancer cell signaling and growth, and therapeutic response. We are particularly interested in translating our findings into the clinic through novel drug inhibitors, biomarker development, and clinical trial design. We are situated in a rich research environment among multiple labs specializing in cancer biology.

Ongoing areas of research include understanding the mechanisms of PIK3CA mutation function in cancer using saturation mutagenesis (Vasan et al, Science 2019; Vasan and Cantley, Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology 2022); discovering biomarkers of response to cancer therapies (Sivakumar et al, Clinical Cancer Research 2023), and elucidating mechanisms of drug resistance in cancer using base editing screens (Vasan et al, Nature 2019). Studies will include protein biochemistry, cell biology, CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing, base editing, genetic screening, patient sample analysis, and pharmacology with standard of care and investigational therapies.

Minimum Degree Required

• Ph.D., MD, or equivalent doctoral degree

Minimum Qualifications

• Excellent experimental and analytic skills and willingness to learn new model systems and methodologies
• Self-motivated with a strong interest in studying the mechanistic and translational aspects of breast cancer
• Effective communication and writing skills and record of first-author publications in a peer-reviewed journal(s)
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in cell culture and biochemistry
• No prior experience in cancer research is necessary