Lead Researcher or Postdoctoral Research Associate - Drug Discovery

We are seeking either a Lead Researcher or a Postdoctoral Research Associate for Drug Discovery on our Ligand Discovery Team on the Department of Structural Biology's Blue Sky Kinase Project.

Join an excellent team of researchers dedicated to coming closer to the mission of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, that no child will die at the dawn of life. The Kalodimos Lab at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is seeking a highly skilled and motivated Lead Researcher or Postdoc to join our prestigious Blue Sky Kinase Project. Led by Dr. Charalampos Kalodimos, and supported by Dr. Madan Babu and Dr. Christoph Gorgulla, this exciting initiative is funded by over $50 million, providing exceptional resources and research conditions.

For more information on the Blue Sky project visit our website at https://www.stjude.org/research/departments/structural-biology/blue-sky-initiative-protein-kinases.html 

If selected, you will play a pivotal role in our Ligand Discovery Team, led by Dr. Christoph Gorgulla. This position is at the frontier of kinase drug discovery, focusing on the experimental validation of kinase-ligand interactions. Our team is dedicated to developing novel kinase-specific inhibitors making use of ultra-large virtual screening using Virtual Flow (screening billions of molecules), complemented by a streamlined experimental validation strategy that integrates biochemical, biophysical, cellular, and structural tools. Our team has access to novel inactive conformations/states of kinases that are obtained by a fleet of over a dozen NMR magnets by the Kalodimos lab, including a 1.1 GHz machine, the largest in the world when it arrived in 2020, that allow us to develop inhibitors of unprecedented specificity. 

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to contribute to highly collaborative projects, expand their skillsets, and participate in high-impact publications. Collaboration is at the heart of our work, and you will closely work with our computational and other wet-lab colleagues to validate and experimentally verify the predicted hit and lead compounds. By working together in a collaborative and intellectually stimulating environment, you will have the opportunity to contribute to multiple ligand/drug discovery projects and make a lasting impact on the lives of children fighting cancer and other life-threatening diseases.

Job Responsibilities:

• The successful candidate will play an active role in designing and developing  biochemical and biophysical assays to support small molecule hit identification and MOA studies.

• The candidate will carry out  high-throughput assays for  Hit identification and  will help characterize the identified inhibitors using biochemical, biophysical and cellular tools.  The postdoc will have the opportunity to interact with multiple teams and experts within St. Jude to streamline hit identification using lab automation and state-of-the art cellular and biochemical tools and for carrying out assays for developing SAR and lead optimization for novel Kinase inhibitors.

Ideal Candidate:

• The Successful candidate for this position will have a PhD in Biophysics or Biochemistry or Structure Biology. The candidate should demonstrate an academic record of excellence and a strong interest in the fields of ligand and drug discovery targeting Kinases.

• Experience in ligand/drug discovery or structural biology is highly desired and . Interest in extending the candidate’s skill set in these areas would be valuable. 

Lead Researcher:

Minimum Education and/or Training:

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant scientific area is required.

Minimum Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree plus 5 years of post-degree experience.
• Master’s degree plus 2 years of post-degree experience.
• PhD with or without post-degree experience.

A reasonable estimate of the current salary range is $60,320.00 - $105,040.00 per year for the role of Lead Researcher.

Postdoctoral Research Associate:

Minimum Education and/or Training:

• A doctoral degree (PhD, MD, or equivalent) in a relevant field.

Minimum Experience:

• No additional experience required with a relevant doctoral degree.

For additional information on salary expectations and postdoctoral research associate opportunities: