Scheduled Hours

40

Position Summary

The Wattenberg Laboratory at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis aims to develop new immune targeted therapies for the treatment of cancer. Our major research focus is on pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) immunobiology. Specifically, we aim to leverage myeloid cells for cancer therapy. In support of this we previously found combinatory myeloid activation to drive tumor eradication in mouse models of PDA (Wattenberg et al. Science Immunology. 2023). Additionally, we aim to define how malignant and non-malignant cells interact within the tumor microenvironment to drive disease biology and therapeutic resistance. Regarding this, our prior work identified discrete cellular neighborhoods in PDA with clinical relevance (Wattenberg et al. Gastroenterology. 2024).

We are now focused on expanding our understanding of how tumor cells react in distinct tumor immune microenvironment contexts and how to exploit these phenotypes. To do this, we are employing mouse models of PDA, analyses in human specimens, multiomics and CRISPR-Cas9 engineering. The Staff Scientist will work closely with the PI and collaborators to develop and conduct pre-clinical and translational studies, including experimental design, data collection and management, data analyses and manuscript preparation.

Available projects:

* Define the role of tumor-intrinsic interferon signaling in pancreatic cancer immunosurveillance.
* Examine the role of sentinel immune cells as regulators of immunosurveillance in pancreatic cancer.
* Study the role of tumor-intrinsic genetic dependencies in T cell rich and poor tumor microenvironments. 

Job Description

Primary Duties & Responsibilities:

• Following instructions and discussions with the principal investigator, designs research protocols, including developing procedures for the collection, verification and management of data.

• Assists with grant preparation and reporting.

• Performs complex statistical analysis of data collected and writes interpretative reports.  Verifies the correctness of the data submitted and makes recommendations based on these analyses.

• Documents research topics and prepares and submits papers based on research work to publications and committees for publication or presentation to peers.

• Solves practical problems relating to difficulties with equipment or test subjects. Suggests technical or procedural improvements in testing methods.

• Conducts literature searches related to research project.

• Performs other duties as assigned.

Working Conditions:

• Works in a laboratory environment with potential exposure to biological and chemical hazards.

• Must be physically able to wear protective equipment and to provide standard care to research animals.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all job duties performed by the personnel so classified. Management reserves the right to revise or amend duties at any time.

Required Qualifications

Education:

Master’s degree or combination of education and/or experience may substitute for minimum education.

Certifications:

No specific certification is required for this position.

Work Experience:

Laboratory Operations (3 Years)

Skills:

Not Applicable

Driver's License:

A driver's license is not required for this position.

More About This Job

WashU seeks highly motivated individuals who are able to perform duties in a manner consistent with our core mission and guiding principles.

Preferred Qualifications

Education:

Ph.D. - Doctor of Philosophy

Certifications:

No additional certification beyond what is stated in the Required Qualifications section.

Work Experience:

No additional work experience beyond what is stated in the Required Qualifications section.

Skills:

Analytical Problem Solving, Cancer Biology, Cell Biology, Cell Cultures, Communication, Computer Literacy, Data Analysis, Data Interpretations, Immunohistochemistry (IHC), Molecular Biology, Molecular Cloning, Mouse Models

Grade

R10

Salary Range

$48,000.00 - $86,900.00 / Annually

The salary range reflects base salaries paid for positions in a given