Postdoctoral Scholar

Department Overview

The OHSU Knight Cancer Institute is a pioneer in personalized cancer treatment and research, led by Dr. Brian Druker, whose development of Gleevec transformed Chronic Myeloid Leukemia from a fatal disease to a manageable one and proved that targeted therapies can work. The institute focuses on precision oncology, the early detection, prevention, and treatment of cancer, and creating a welcoming and supportive environment for its caregivers, researchers, and support personnel. Knight affiliates subscribe to three guiding principles: we are bold, we are supportive, and we work as a connected team in our fight to end cancer as we know it. We¿d love for you to join us! The primary mission of the Division of Oncological Sciences at OHSU's Knight Cancer Institute is to better understand cancer through basic, translational, and population-based research that improves cancer prevention, detection, and treatments for all. Our community of faculty, trainees, and staff brings together scientists from a broad range of disciplines and works collaboratively to advance innovation and translate discoveries from the lab into meaningful impacts for cancer patients and our community.

 

Every Knight Cancer employee is expected to embody our guiding principles:

• We act BOLDLY—Breakthroughs require pushing the boundaries of science, exploring new frontiers, and thinking differently
• We SUPPORT each other—Respect leads to trust, which leads to excellence
• We work as a CONNECTED team—We must leverage our collective brain power to conquer cancer because no one individual can do it alone

Function/Duties of Position

This position requires a Ph. D. in bioengineering, chemical engineering, materials science, nanotechnology, or a relevant field. This position will work on Dr. Adem Yildirim’s research projects. They should also have the potential to both lead and participate in projects in Dr. Yildirim’s group. This position requires a strong track record of scholarly activity, including high-quality peer-reviewed publications or other translational research activities. Experience in nanomaterial synthesis and characterization, immunotherapy, and/or small animal tumor models are required. A record of collaborative research, or the potential for collaborative research, is preferred for this position.

 

Duties include:

• Laboratory Research Project Management: With input from Dr. Yildirim develop and manage research experiments, determining the most suitable methods to be used.  Interpret and perform complex data analysis on experimental results and determine whether they are consistent with goals. Maintain accurate and detailed records of all experimental procedures, data collections and analysis performed.
• Scientific Project Oversight: With input from Dr. Yildirim help to develop and oversee laboratory research projects. Including identification of scientific hypotheses, design approaches to evaluate these hypotheses, and identification, acquisition and management of resources to perform investigations. Foster and support teamwork. Provide training and guidance to more junior team members including graduate students, research assistants, and undergraduate students. Maintain a high level of professional expertise through familiarity with current scientific literature.  As needed, develop innovative techniques and experimental systems to meet research program goals.
• Scientific Writing and Project Proposal Development: Prepare research findings for presentation at team meetings, scientific meetings and conferences, and manuscripts for publication.  Prepare research project proposals and research progress summaries.

Required Qualifications

• Doctoral degree in relevant field
• Experience in preparation of nanomaterials
• Experience in nanomaterial characterization including electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering analysis, and/or absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopies
• Experience in small animal models for testing efficacy of nanomaterials in the treatment and/or detection of solid tumors
• Experience in cell culture
• Fluorescence microscopy
• Excellent communication, analytical and organizational skills
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team while being collaborative in resolving problems
• Strong publication record
• Experience in handling chemical and biologically hazardous materials
• Knowledge of policy and regulations applicable to the laboratory, including but not limited to chemical safety and animal handling
• Technical proficiency, scientific creativity, and independent thinker
• Ability to prioritize multiple tasks at one time
• Demonstrated ability to learn new and innovative processes quickly
• Ability to use tact and diplomacy to maintai