Summary

The Heczey Lab believes that the development of the next-generation of cell therapies will be based on rationally designed, cell state-specific synthetic programs expressed in cancer specific effector cells which can overcome the immune escape mechanisms employed within the tumor microenvironment to cure patients safely and effectively with cancer. The instructor will be part of an energetic team within the combined translational laboratories of the Advance Innate Cell Therapy Center of Texas Children's and the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy of Baylor College of Medicine.

• Develop synthetic programs using cell state specific switches capable of bidirectional modulation of multiple regulatory genes to boost T cells' antitumor properties.
• Design and conduct the experiments related to the project with the help of the mentor and other team members of the Heczey Lab.
• Evaluate the functional properties of these engineered cells in preclinical models.
• Engineer and test effector lymphocytes in vitro and cancer bearing animal models.
• Oversee other trainees including rotating students, summer students, grad students and post-docs.
• Analyze the data and present the evolving results at weekly laboratory meetings and research seminars of the Center for Cell and Gene Therapy.
• Record details of the experiments and the findings in an electronic laboratory notebook.
• Long term vision for an independent academic carrier.
• Write and publish high impact manuscripts.
• Obtain extramural funding toward independence.

Minimum Qualifications

• Ph.D. in immunology, genetic engineering, or related fields.
• At least one first author manuscript from PhD work and multiple co-author publication demonstrating individual and teamwork, respectively.
• Understanding of genetic engineering techniques (transfection, retroviral / lentiviral transduction, transposition, CRISPR-Cas9).
• Excellent aseptic cell culture technique.
• Great fund of knowledge of tumor immunology principles.
• Enthusiasm and a willingness to learn in a fast-pace, collaborative environment.
• Strong organizational skills, record keeping, and interpersonal communication skills (verbal and written).
• Additional post-doctoral experience.
• Publication from post-doctoral studies.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Two years of post-doctoral training in the field.
• High impact manuscript from post-doctoral studies.
• Evidence of successfully obtaining extramural funding.