Postdoc positions in mechanisms of immune evasion in metastatic cancer

The Obenauf group at the Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP) offers exciting research opportunities in the context of the VIP2 International Postdoc Program for individuals with a PhD degree in immunology, cancer biology, molecular biology, or gene regulation. If you are passionate about research and excited to advance your scientific career in an outstanding research environment, you may be the one we are looking for!

The group

The ERC-funded Obenauf lab is a multidisciplinary group interested in the molecular mechanisms underlying tumor progression and immune evasion. Our work is inspired by clinical puzzles and we develop and employ a wide array of molecular biology, biochemistry, and in vivo approaches with the vision and mission of guiding rational combination therapies. We are located at the Institute of Molecular Pathology at the Vienna BioCenter, a life-science hub in the vibrant city of Vienna, Austria, which is frequently ranked the world’s best city to live. We provide an unparalleled training opportunity with world-class support at the group-, institute-, and campus-level and closely collaborate with an international network of scientists, clinicians and industry. Available resources on campus include a state-of-the art mouse facility, high-end FACS and microscopy facilities, on-site mass spectrometry and metabolomics, NGS, a fully administered compute-cluster, and much more.

The projects

We are currently excited about (and have funding for) several projects, for example:

1:  Understand the relationship between oncogenic signaling pathways and immune evasion in vivo by interrogating DC/T cell interactions and their functional states and the follow-up on specific mediators we discovered in our work.

2: Identify means to control KRAS-driven cancersby exposing the cancer cells to the immune system. This project will make use of CRISPR/Cas9-based multiplexed genetic screens with innovative (co-culture) readouts.

3: Understand tumor evolution during metastasis, therapy response and resistance in osteosarcoma. This project will exploit a unique set of patient-derived models, molecular barcoding and cutting-edge single cell technologies and will be performed in close collaboration with groups at UCSF (Sweet-Cordero) and UBC (Sorensen, Aparicio).

Candidates are also encouraged to develop their own ideas in the lab and can build on a body of preliminary data, exploit novel mouse models that recapitulate distinct immune states, e.g. those with cross-resistance between targeted and immunotherapy (Haas et al. Nature Cancer, 2021) in combination with powerful technologies, such as CaTCH a functional lineage tracing approach that we recently developed (Umkehrer et al. Nature Biotechnology, 2020), large-scale genetic screens, and numerous biochemical, and genetic approaches to facilitate mechanistic insights. We also love to develop new technologies to break new ground in our field.

The candidates

A strong interest in cancer immunology and biomedical research is an essential pre-requisite, as is passion and perseverance in equal measure. The successful candidates should bring:

• Extensive experimental lab experience, including experience with cell culture, molecular biology and biochemistry.
• For project 1, experience with multicolor immune phenotyping by flow-cytometry, an aptitude for animal studies, and a good understanding of immunology are beneficial. For project 2, a strong interest in developing new methods/readouts for genetic screening approaches, the ability to handle large-scale experiments, and interest in mechanistically dissecting gene regulatory/signaling networks are desired. Experience in cancer modeling and computational skills are a plus.
• Proven track record in conducting research, including designing, executing, and interpreting experiments, as demonstrated by previous publications.
• Outstanding communication skills, strong commitment to science, and a collaborative mindset.
• Ability to prioritize, see the big picture, and nevertheless focus on details.
• Ability to effectively work with collaborators and students.

Application

Applications with a cover letter outlining suitability for the role, a CV including a list of publications and the contact details for 3 academic referees should be sent ONLINE until May 15th , 2022. Interviews will follow shortly after this date. Applications received after the deadline may be considered at the discretion of the assessing panel.

Additional information

Group webpage: www.obenauflab.com , IMP: http://www.imp.ac.at , VIP2 program: https://training.vbc.ac.at/vip2-post-doc-program/ Selected publications: Haas et al. Nature Cancer, 2021, Umkehrer et al., Nature Biotechnology, 2020; Leiendecker et al., EMBO Molecular Medicine, 2020; Obenauf et al, Nature, 2015; Obenauf and Massagué, Nature, 2016, and more to come soon!