Postdoctoral research fellowships for highly qualified applicants are now available in the laboratory of Professor Chris Benedict at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology and Dr. Tatiana Hurtado De Mendoza at the UC San Diego Moores Cancer Center. The job focuses on how to leverage pre-existing antiviral immunity to combat tumors, harnessing cytomegalovirus-specific T cells for anti-cancer therapy. Email directly at benedict@lji.org
Successful candidates will join an interdisciplinary group of collaborative researchers who have a broad spectrum of interests related to anti-viral immunity and the development therapeutic strategies to combat virus-related disease.
For more information see:
1. Late-rising CD4 T cells resolve mouse cytomegalovirus persistent replication in the salivary gland. PMID 38236791
2. Profiling human cytomegalovirus-specific T cell responses reveals novel immunogenic open reading frames. PMC8513490
3. Cytomegalovirus evades ILC1 defenses by blocking TRAIL signaling. PMC6675903
4. Cytomegalovirus: shape-shifting the immune system. J. Immunol. 200, 3881-89. PMC5992493
5. https://www.lji.org/labs/benedict/
The Benedict lab currently has funded RO1s, ARPA-H awards and foundation grants to work on the immune response to CMV in various species.
Methods used in this research include multiple mouse tumor models, viral infection and subsequent isolation of immune cells from various tissues followed by high resolution flow cytometry, microscopic imaging, single-cell RNA sequencing and other state-of-the-art techniques. Discovery and analyses of virus-specific immune cell populations from virally infected people, and translating these findings into potential vaccine approaches is another major focus of the group.
LJI is an independent, non-profit research institute. LJI was recently ranked as one of the world’s top 5 immunology research institutes and was ranked #1 in a survey of postdoctoral fellows as ‘best places to work’ by The Scientist magazine.
Requirements
The successful candidate should have a PhD or MD/PhD with a strong background in immunology. Excellent written and verbal communication skills are expected. Work with laboratory mice is a very strong benefit.
How to Apply: Interested individuals should include their curriculum vitae, a cover letter describing why they are interested in this position, and the names of three references. Applications without a cover letter will not be reviewed. Please enclose all documents within a single file attachment.
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