Associate Research Scientist

An Associate Research Scientist position is available in the laboratory of Dr. Maksim Mamonkin at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York. The mission of Dr. Mamonkin lab is to study immunobiology of T-cells engineered with chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) and creating new cell therapies for cancer and other diseases. We investigate molecular mechanisms regulating the activity of CAR T-cells and develop new strategies for clinical translation. We utilize protein engineering and genome editing to create T-cell therapies against incurable cancers and develop rejection-resistant allogeneic cell therapies.

This opportunity to join the Columbia Initiative in Cell Engineering and Therapy at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons at the rank of Associate Research Scientist is an exciting one. Columbia University Irving Medical Center is one of the nation's foremost academic health science centers. Our institution represents the essence of New York, being a large, diverse, and multicultural community that encourages collaborative and innovative work. We are in close contact with many national and foreign laboratories with whom we hold interactive meetings that enrich even more the excellent academic environment found in our facilities. Associate Research Scientists at Columbia University participate in several national and international conferences, which provides them with a unique opportunity to present their research, engage in collaborative work with peers, and gain valuable networking experience.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The candidate will develop a research direction in the lab, build and oversee a small team, and help obtain supporting funding.

* Serve as a leader of a research project, reporting directly to PI.

* Provide mentorship to junior members of our lab, including PhD students, undergraduates, and early-stage postdoctoral fellows.

* Perform laboratory experiments and conduct data analysis.

* Generate reliable and reproducible data.

* Design experiments, develop new methods, and execute on protocols; propose modification to protocols as needed.

* Initiate and maintain collaborations with other investigators in Columbia and outside.

* Maintain accurate records, write reports, and prepare presentations.

* Contribute to the writing and submission of manuscripts and grant applications in collaboration with the PI.

* Contribute to project team as well as overall laboratory organization and safety.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE/QUALIFICATIONS

* Must have a doctorate degree (Ph.D. or M.D.)

* 4-5 years of Postdoctoral training in academic environment

* Consistently strong interpersonal skills and the ability to build and sustain effective working relationships with professionals in other disciplines

* The ability to create data-driven hypotheses, exploiting unbiased results for the generation of strong lines of research.

* To encourage both colleagues and staff to value each other's contributions

* The ability to share and celebrate success with colleagues and staff.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

* Applicants interested in this position should hold a PhD degree in Immunology, Microbiology, Cell Biology or related area.

* Applicants should have advanced training in both cell culture and bacterial culture.

* Technical expertise required includes multicolor flow cytometry, T cell purification, co-culture assays, qRT-PCR, ELISA, RNA-Seq, Seahorse assays and western blot.

* Experience with in vivo models manipulating regulatory T cell function.

* Training in bioinformatic analysis of big datasets, such as single-cell RNA-Seq transcriptomics, genomics, and metabolomics is valuable, but not essential.

Columbia University is an Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Pay Transparency Disclosure

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.