Senior Postdoctoral Research Fellow

At Peter Mac we aim to continuously improve cancer care, research and education across all cancers and for all people affected by cancer: changing lives, breaking new ground. Everything we do is underpinned by our core values, Excellence, Compassion and Innovation. Welcoming people from a wide variety of different backgrounds and experiences is critical to fostering innovation, cultivating compassion, attracting and retaining top talent and providing the best possible cancer care for our patients.YOUR ROLE IN OUR FUTUREThis Senior Postdoctoral Research Fellow will be based within the Goel Laboratory at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. As a translational laboratory the group aims to improve outcomes in breast cancer. The appointee will be responsible for leading projects central to the laboratory's themes, leveraging the lab's expertise and suite of purpose-built, novel in vitro and in vivo models.Under the direction of A/Prof Shom Goel, a medical oncologist and laboratory head, the Goel Lab positions itself at the intersection of cell cycle biology, epigenetics, and tumour immunology in cancer. Specifically, studying the cell cycle machinery and how it influences cancer biology in both cancer and stromal cells to further our discoveries and design new drug therapies for cancer.We have developed several new transgenic mouse models of cancer which have proven valuable for uncovering new mechanisms of drug activity, and our work has been published in high-impact journals including Nature, Cancer Cell, Cancer Discovery, and Nature Cancer. Importantly, several of our discoveries have translated into large-scale clinical trials. At present, the Goel lab is focused on addressing some of the fundamental unanswered questions relating to tumour dormancy and therapy-induced senescence in cancer.Leadership is integral to this role with a high level of accountability in the following areas: * Conducting rigorous, valid and ethical research both independently and as part of the laboratory team.

• Communicating research outcomes: writing and leading the publication of scientific papers and presenting at relevant meetings.
• Providing input into the administrative and management functions of the laboratory, including supervision of staff and students and leading appropriate research-based grant and fellowship applications.
• Fostering excellent working relationships with colleagues, collaborators, and other key stakeholders.

Innovative thinking and engagement with the group leader and laboratory in the pursuit of excellence will see the appointed succeed.The Goel Laboratory is proudly supported by a prestigious Snow Medical Research Fellowship (AUD $8 million, 2022-2030) and a US Dept of Defense Era of Hope Scholar Award (USD $3 million, 2024-2028).- This position is fixed term
- 80 hours per fortnight
- The position reports to A/Prof Shom GoelApplicants to this role should provide a covering letter outlining relative key skills and experience to assist us with our assessment.For further information about this opportunity, click Apply to be redirected to the Peter Mac Careers page where you can review the position summary. Alternatively, please contact us using the information below for a confidential discussion.Hiring Manager: Zoe Gordon
Contact Number: 03 8559 5934
Email: Zoe.Gordon@petermac.orgApplications Close: 11:59 pm 29 July 2024Position SummaryThis Senior Postdoctoral Research Fellow will be based within the Goel Laboratory. As a translational laboratory the group aims to improve outcomes in breast cancer. The appointee will be responsible for leading projects central to the laboratory's themes, leveraging the expertise and suite of purpose-built, novel in vitro and in vivo models.Under the direction of A/Prof Shom Goel, a medical oncologist and laboratory head, the Goel Lab positions itself at the intersection of cell cycle biology, epigenetics, and tumour immunology in cancer. Specifically, we study the cell cycle machinery and how it influences cancer biology in both cancer cells and stromal cells and leverage our discoveries to design new drug therapies for cancer.We have developed several new transgenic mouse models of cancer which have proven valuable for uncovering new mechanisms of drug activity, and our work has been published in high-impact journals including Nature, Cancer Cell, Cancer Discovery, and Nature Cancer. Importantly, several of our discoveries have translated into large-scale clinical trials. At present, the Goel lab is focused on addressing some of the fundamental unanswered questions relating to tumour dormancy and therapy-induced senescence in cancer.Leadership is integral to this role with a high level of accountability expected in the key performance indicators. Innovative thinking and engagement with the group leader and laboratory in the pursuit of excellence will see the appointed succeed.Enterprise AgreementAllied Health Professionals (Victorian Public Sector) (Single Interest Employers) Enterprise Agreement 2021 - 2025Classification or Salary Range1RA8 - 1SR1 (dependant on qualifications and experience)Immunisation Risk CategoryCategory A: Position involving direct patient contact, potential for exposure to blood, body fluid, human tissue specimens during course of a normal working dayKey RelationshipsInternalSupervisor: A/Prof Shom GoelGoel lab staff and studentsCancer Biology and Therapeutics ProgramOther research laboratory staff and studentsCore research facilities staff and studentsOther Peter Mac staff and students
ExternalStaff from other research institutions and hospitalsExternal collaboratorsSuppliersEducationPhD in Cell Biology or Medical ScienceSkills

• Essential requirements

• PhD in cancer biology, with a focus on cell cycle biology, epigenetics or immunology
• Strong track record in cancer research exemplified by a broad knowledge of cancer biology and successful publication of innovative scientific studies
• Ability to work well within a research team exemplified by collegiality, diligence, and accountability
• Technical and advanced experience in cancer epigenetics (e.g. ChIP-seq, ATAC-seq, Cut and Tag, Cut and Run) and/or cancer immunology
• Extensive experience with cell biology techniques including cell culture, conducting cell-based assays in vitro (i.e. cell counting, drug treatments), generation of retrovirus and lentivirus
• Experience with molecular biology techniques including western blotting; extraction of DNA, RNA, and protein from cells; PCR; RT-qPCR Also proficiency in complex molecular cloning protocols
• Experience working with laboratory mice including animal handling, oral gavage, mouse anaesthesia, and survival surgery
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Flexibility, ability to develop new skills and work with feedback
• High level organisational and time management skills, including punctuality
• Ability to keep abreast of the relevant scientific literature whilst carrying out laboratory work, and to integrate these tasks to develop new scientific questions to be addressed in the lab

Desirable requirements

• Experience with bio-informatic analysis of RNA-seq, ATAC-seq, and ChIP-seq datasets
• Outstanding academic track record
• Desire to pursue cancer research long-term
• Experience with digital image analysis including Image J
• Basic programming skills using R
• Basic knowledge of principles of data interpretation including statistical analysis

Key AccountabilitiesKey Accountabilities Demonstrated by / Key Performance Indicators
1. Conducts rigorous, valid and ethical research both independently and as part of the laboratory team. Competently carries out experiments to fulfil the aims of the projects. Excellent technical skills and eye for detail. Accurate analysis and interpretation of experiment results. Willingness to learn and follow instructions. Ability to work independently. Regularly demonstrates proactive and innovative thinking engaging with the group leader and laboratory in the pursuit of excellence. Regular attendance and contribution at group and program meetings. High level of integrity and ethics. Complete tasks in timely and efficient manner. Excellent record keeping skills
2. Communication of research outcomes. Writes and leads the publication of scientific papers. Presentation of research results at lab meetings. Participation in discussions, lab and program meetings. Ability to communicate effectively with others in the laboratory as well the broader scientific community. Excellent oral and written communication skills
3. Input into the administrative and management functions of the laboratory, including supervision of staff and students. Contributes to discussions, lab, hub and program meetings. Provides help and regular feedback to staff and students. Participates in multi-directional mentorship. Leads appropriate research-based grant and fellowship applications
4. Foster a good working relationship with colleagues. Excellent working relationships with others both within the laboratory and with the broader community in health and science. Ability to work in a team. Proactively pursues relevant collaborations and manages these relationships effectively to reach shared goals. Willingness to help others in lab as requiredFor further information about this opportunity, click Apply to be redirected to the Peter Mac Careers page where you can review the position profile. Alternatively, please contact us for a confidential discussion.Peter Mac requires its staff to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Please contact us if you would like to discuss this requirement.WHY WORK FOR PETER MAC

• Peter Mac offer a range of benefits which support our people both personally and professionally.
• Our staff benefits include award winning facilities, professional development and events, a health and wellbeing program, flexible work practices and policies and financial benefits such as salary packaging.
• We encourage applications from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, all members of the LGBTQI community and people with a disability.