Research Fellow - Radiation Oncology

The Research Fellow will join a translational cancer biology and radiation research environment focused on mechanisms of treatment response and resistance. The emphasis on metabolism, stress-response signaling, DNA damage response, and therapeutic vulnerabilities that may be exploited to improve cancer treatment. The position will support laboratory and translational research projects involving radiation biology, metabolic perturbation, drug-radiation combinations, and biomarker-oriented studies using cell-based, molecular, biochemical, and potentially animal-model systems.

The candidate should be prepared to work in a collaborative academic laboratory setting with close interaction among basic scientists, physician-scientists, trainees, and technical staff. Responsibilities may include:

• Designing and executing experiments
• Maintaining accurate laboratory records
• Analyzing and interpreting data
• Preparing figures and manuscripts
• Contributing to grant and protocol development
• Presenting results in lab meetings and scientific forums

The role is best suited for a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher who can work independently while also coordinating closely with project mentors and collaborators.

Specific techniques and tasks may include; mammalian cell culture; irradiation experiments; clonogenic survival assays; proliferation, viability, and apoptosis/cell-death assays; drug-treatment and combination studies; Western blotting or related protein-analysis methods; qPCR or other gene-expression assays; immunofluorescence microscopy; flow cytometry when needed; metabolomics- or phosphoproteomics-adjacent sample preparation and interpretation; basic molecular biology; data organization and statistical analysis; and preparation of publication-quality figures. Depending on project needs and prior training, the candidate may also participate in in vivo tumor studies, tissue processing, immunohistochemistry, and coordination with institutional cores for omics, imaging, pathology, or animal work.

The work environment is a wet-lab research setting requiring careful adherence to laboratory safety, biosafety, radiation-safety, animal-research, and data-management policies. The candidate should be comfortable working with human or animal-derived biological materials when applicable, using shared equipment, coordinating with core facilities, and handling multiple active projects in a deadline-driven research environment.

Must have a Ph.D., M.D., or equivalent doctoral degree in a field deemed relevant by the program. Research Fellow is appropriate for individuals who have completed no more than one prior postdoctoral fellowship, at Mayo Clinic or elsewhere.