Postdoctoral Fellow – Immune Reconstitution after Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation

The people of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) are united by a singular mission: ending cancer for life. Our specialized care teams provide personalized, compassionate, expert care to patients of all ages. Informed by basic research done at our Sloan Kettering Institute, scientists across MSK collaborate to conduct innovative translational and clinical research that is driving a revolution in our understanding of cancer as a disease and improving the ability to prevent, diagnose, and treat it. MSK is dedicated to training the next generation of scientists and clinicians, who go on to pursue our mission at MSK and around the globe.

We are seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher to join the Immune Discovery & Modeling Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The successful candidate will study the mechanisms and clinical consequences of immune reconstitution in children and young adults undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation and cellular therapy.

The postdoctoral researcher will develop and lead an independent research project focused on longitudinal immune recovery and its relationship to outcomes such as graft-versus-host disease, relapse, infection, and survival.

The position will combine independent research with active participation in the broader IDMS project portfolio. The candidate will work with investigators across MSK and collaborating institutions to design experiments, generate and analyze high-dimensional immune-monitoring data, and interpret findings in the context of clinical outcomes. The role includes both bench-based and computational work and is well suited for someone who enjoys moving between biological questions, experimental data, and translational interpretation.

The laboratory works extensively with longitudinal human blood and bone marrow samples and uses platforms including spectral flow cytometry, plasma proteomics, and other immune-monitoring assays. The candidate will have access to established clinical cohorts, biospecimens, and multidimensional datasets, with strong opportunities for first-author publications, meeting presentations, and development of an independent research program.

Responsibilities

• Work with laboratory leadership to develop and lead an independent research project focused on immune reconstitution after transplantation or cellular therapy
• Design and perform experiments using human blood, bone marrow, and other clinical specimens
• Perform and interpret high-dimensional immune-monitoring assays, including spectral flow cytometry
• Analyze longitudinal immunologic and clinical datasets and integrate findings across multiple assay platforms
• Contribute to collaborative IDMS projects, including experimental planning, assay execution, data analysis, and biological interpretation
• Prepare abstracts, manuscripts, presentations, and reports related to the candidate’s independent and collaborative research
• Work closely with technicians, data analysts, clinicians, and collaborating investigators
• Maintain detailed laboratory and analytical records and contribute to the development of reproducible experimental and analysis workflows
• Troubleshoot experiments and analyses and adapt approaches as new scientific questions emerge
• Present findings at laboratory meetings, institutional seminars, and national or international scientific meetings

Requirements

• PhD or MD/PhD in immunology, cancer biology, hematology, transplantation biology, or a related field
• Strong background in immunology and enthusiasm for translational research using human clinical samples
• Experience with multiparameter flow cytometry; experience with spectral flow cytometry is preferred
• Experience analyzing biological or clinical data, preferably using R or a similar statistical programming environment
• Ability to interpret complex datasets in the context of underlying biology rather than treating experimental and analytical work as separate activities
• Comfortable handling human blood, bone marrow, and tissue samples
• Strong organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a dynamic, multidisciplinary research environment
• Scientific curiosity, resourcefulness, and a willingness to troubleshoot imperfect or complex clinical datasets and samples
• Commitment to developing and completing first-author research while contributing meaningfully to collaborative laboratory projects

Please include a cover letter, brief statement of prior research experience and research interests, CV, and contact information for three references in your application submission.

Salary: $72,000 - $87,000

Closing:

At MSK, we believe in fair, competitive pay that reflects your job, experience, and skills.

MSK is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer committed to diversity and inclusion in all aspects of recruiting and employment. All qualified individuals are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration without regard to race, color, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, religion, creed, disability, veteran status or any other factor which cannot lawfully be used as a basis for an employment decision.  

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