Posted Date: November 2017
Job Location: Weinberg Laboratory, Lorry I. Lokey Stem Cell Research Building, Stanford University

The Weinberg Lab has an opening for a highly creative and motivated postdoctoral fellow with an interest in development of the human thymus. Successful candidates will join the Pediatric Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine.

Our group aims to integrate cellular and molecular studies of the interactions between thymic epithelial cells (TEC) of the thymic microenvironment and immature thymocytes, the progenitors of mature T-lymphocytes. The studies use unique methods to understand both normal human thymic development and that occurring in relatively common disorders like the Deletion 22q11 (DiGeorge) syndrome. The studies are integrated into a vibrant international collaboration to understand critical events in thymic organogenesis, delineate subsets of TEC, and their interactions with thymocytes. An important goal of these studies is to develop innovative stem cell based approaches to cure patients whose thymus did not develop normally.

Our lab employs: experimental stem cell transplantation, tissue culture, various high throughput analyses of gene expression and immunoreceptor sequences, flow cytometry and CyTOF,  in vivo mouse and chimeric mouse models.

The project will focus on:

1. Delineation of functional TEC populations in normal and abnormal thymus;
2. Analyses of differences in TEC populations from normal and abnormal, e.g., Deletion 22q11, patients,
3. Strategies to regenerate TEC from stem cell populations.

Requirements:

The applicant must be PhD (immunology, cell biology or molecular biology) or MD/PhD graduate with:                                                                                                                                                

• ·      Strong publication record in peer-reviewed journals in at least one of the following areas: immunology, stem cell biology, transplantation, microbiology and infectious diseases, immunodeficiencies, gene transfer.
• ·      Outstanding personal initiative and communication skills.
• ·      Excellent molecular and cell biology skills with a strong background in immunology.

Candidates with experience in developmental biology and immunology are encouraged to apply.

Candidates should email an updated CV, complete contact information for three references and a cover letter describing their past research experience, career goals and a statement of future research interest (1-2 pages) to Ginger Exley at gexley@stanford.edu.

Posted Date: November 2017
Job Location: Weinberg Laboratory, Lorry I. Lokey Stem Cell Research Building, Stanford University

The Weinberg Lab has an opening for a highly creative and motivated postdoctoral fellow with an interest in studies of human lymphoid progenitor cells. Successful candidates will join the Pediatric Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine.

Our group aims to understand the processes by which human lymphoid progenitors are generated from hematopoietic stem cells (HSC). Using clonal analyses, we have recently identified common lymphoid progenitors (CLP) in human marrow, which like their murine counterparts, give rise to T, B, and NK lymphocytes but not other lineages. While lacking self-renewal capacity, human CLP can expand and generate large numbers of diverse lymphocyte progeny. Central to the analyses of the differentiation potential of human CLP is a unique cell culture system which permits limiting dilution analyses of multipotent progenitors capable of differentiation into all lymphohematopoietic lineages. The studies are a collaboration between the laboratories of Ken Weinberg and Irv Weissman in the Stem Cell Institute at Stanford aimed at developing CLP as a novel cell therapy which can rapidly reconstitute immune function, e.g., after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Our lab employs: experimental stem cell transplantation, tissue culture, various high throughput analyses of gene expression and immunoreceptor sequences, flow cytometry and CyTO,  in vivo mouse and chimeric mouse models.

The project will focus on:

1. Delineation of human CLP and related subpopulations, their precursors and their progeny by analyses of gene and protein expression, and in vitro and in vivo differentiation;
2. Development of strategies to expand human CLP for transplantation.

Requirements:

The applicant must be PhD (immunology, cell biology or molecular biology) or MD/PhD graduate with:                                                                                                                                                 

• ·      Strong publication record in peer-reviewed journals in at least one of the following areas: immunology, stem cell biology, transplantation, microbiology and infectious diseases, immunodeficiencies, gene transfer.
• ·      Outstanding personal initiative and communication skills.
• ·      Excellent molecular and cell biology skills with a strong background in immunology.

Candidates with experience in stem cell biology, hematopoiesis, and immunology are encouraged to apply.

Candidates should email an updated CV, complete contact information for three references and a cover letter describing their past research experience, career goals and a statement of future research interest (1-2 pages) to Ginger Exley at gexley@stanford.edu.

Posted Date: November 2017
Job Location: Roncarolo Laboratory, Lorry I. Lokey Stem Cell Research Building, Stanford University

The Roncarolo Laboratory has an opening for a highly creative and motivated postdoctoral fellow with an interest in immune tolerance. Successful candidates will join the Pediatric Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine.

Our group aims to integrate findings from mechanistic and functional studies in genetic and acquired diseases of the immune system to progress towards treatments of immune-mediated diseases. We are interested in understanding the pathways involved in inducing and maintaining immune tolerance by investigating T regulatory lymphocytes and identifying genes whose disruption leads to autoimmunity and immune dysregulation.

Our laboratory employs: tissue culture, T cell cloning and functional in vitro T cell assays, LV/Talen/Crispr-based gene-transfer into T cells and stem cells, Flow cytometry and Cytoff, single cell transcriptome analysis, in vivo mouse disease models and humanized-mouse models.

The project will focus on:

1. Biology of Tr1 cells: plasticity, interaction with T helper cells, B cells, and hematopoietic stem cells, specific transcription factors and markers, homing;
2. Role of Tr1 cells and LV-IL-10 transduced T cells in graft vs. host disease and graft vs. leukemia effect;
3. Development of cell and gene therapy approaches in preclinical models and in patients with genetic and acquired autoimmunity.

Requirements:

The applicant must be PhD (immunology, cell biology or molecular biology) or MD/PhD graduate with:

• ·      Strong publication record in peer-reviewed journals in at least one of the following areas: immunology, immunodeficiencies, autoimmunity, stem cell biology, gene transfer.
• ·      Outstanding personal initiative and communication skills.
• ·      Excellent molecular and cell biology skills with a strong background in immunology.

Candidates with experience in human sample handling and flow cytometry are encouraged to apply.

Candidates should email an updated CV, complete contact information for three references and a cover letter describing their past research experience, career goals and a statement of future research interest (1-2 pages) to Alma Cepika at acepika@stanford.edu. 

Post Doc Position: Focus on Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia (JMML)

Job Location: Czechowicz and Bertaina Laboratory | Biomedical Innovations Building, Stanford University, Stanford, CA. 

The Czechowicz and Bertaina Laboratories have formed an exciting collaboration and have an opening for a creative, collaborative and motivated postdoctoral fellow with an interest in leukemia, hematopoiesis, and bone marrow transplantation (BMT). The successful candidate will join the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine and will be expected to lead several exciting and innovative translational projects focusing specifically on juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML), a particularly devastating pediatric leukemia.

Our laboratories have extensive experience in hematopoiesis and leukemia research, and we have previously conducted complementary pioneering work on improving bone marrow transplantation through creation of novel conditioning methods and enhanced hematopoietic grafts.  We have previously demonstrated that hematopoietic stem cell depletion is a critical component to donor cell engraftment and several agents that enable safe and targeted conditioning are now in development based upon our work. We are now using these agents as probes to understand underlying hematopoietic biology and are applying these to the treatment of candidate diseases of great need, with a focus on using these as curative agents for pediatric leukemia as we have found these agents also target leukemia initiating cells.

The postdoctoral fellow selected to join our laboratories will create, aid and use the novel conditioning agents we have developed to further understand and improve bone marrow transplantation, with specific focus on optimizing transplantation in mouse and xenograft models of juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML).  We anticipate this work to lead to a subsequent clinical trial applying these therapies to JMML patients.

Potential specific project aims include:

1. Studying the effects of our unique antibodies alone and in combination with BMT in diseased and humanized-mouse leukemia models
2. Increasing our understanding of leukemia composition and evolution in order to identify new targets and treatment strategies
3. Developing and applying other novel technologies to target these cancerous cells for eradication prior to BMT

The scope of our research employs a wide range for techniques including tissue culture, in vivo mouse disease models, humanized-mouse models, bone marrow transplantation, high-through put sequencing, flow cytometry, molecular cloning, RNASeq/single cell transcriptome analysis, proteomics, confocal microscopy and lentiviral transduction.

The postdoctoral fellow will have individualized mentorship tailored to his or her personal career and publications goals including regular meetings with Dr. Czechowicz and Dr. Bertaina to guarantee a successful fellowship. The fellow will also engage in a vibrant scientific discourse with the spectacular Stanford stem cell community and enjoy a positive and impact-oriented work environment. The fellow will also be expected to occasionally teach or mentor students and to help foster a productive learning environment, and additionally the fellow will have opportunities for clinical and translational exposure if interested.

It is intended that the postdoctoral fellow will contribute to making important biomedical discoveries, and simultaneous grow through this position and develop the skills necessary to become a strong contributor to the advancement of science and/or medicine. This is an ideal role for fellows looking for subsequent opportunities in academia, industry or other associated business areas.

Requirements:

Postdoctoral fellow candidates must have a PhD, MD or MD/PhD. Candidates must have gained knowledge in hematopoiesis and cancer research, and be interested in bone marrow transplantation. In order to be considered, candidates should have:

·       demonstrated the ability to work independently

·       shown initiative and prior research productivity

·       attention to details

·       strong motivation to explore new techniques and concepts

·       collaborative team spirit

·       excellent communication skills

·       positive attitude

·       adherence to highest ethical principles

Candidates with prior experience in cancer biology, hematopoiesis, leukemia, cell therapy, and/or bone marrow transplantation are strongly encouraged to apply.

Please email an updated CV, complete contact information for three references and a short cover letter describing past research experience, career goals and a statement of future research interest (1 page) to Beatrice Raquel Ochoa at beatrice.ochoa@stanford.edu.

Post Doc Position: Focus on Hematopoietic Stem Cell Dynamics and Leukemia Clonal Evolution in Fanconi Anemia

Job Location: Czechowicz Laboratory | Biomedical Innovations Building, Stanford University, Stanford, CA.

The Czechowicz Laboratory has an opening for a creative, collaborative and motivated postdoctoral fellow with an interest in translational biomedical research with a focus on hematopoiesis, leukemic transformation and bone marrow transplantation (BMT). The successful candidate will join the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine and will be given the opportunity to lead several exciting and innovative translational projects focusing specifically on Fanconi anemia, a particularly devastating bone marrow failure and cancer predisposition syndrome, driven by DNA repair deficiency.

Our laboratory has extensive experience in hematopoiesis and hematopoietic cell transplantation, and in particular we have pioneered non-genotoxic conditioning methods to make these procedures safer and more effective. We are now working to translate these new conditioning approaches to enable safe and effective BMT in Fanconi anemia patients. Further, with an industry partner, we are also working on development of ex vivo lentiviral gene therapy to treat the hematopoietic deficiencies in Fanconi anemia. 

The postdoc selected to join our laboratory will work to develop and continue projects in the lab that are at the interface of clinical research and basic biomedical science. The selected postdoc will work closely with the clinical team to evaluate the safety and efficacy of new therapeutic modalities for treatment of bone marrow failure and leukemia in Fanconi anemia patients. Additionally, the selected postdoc will work to elucidate underlying mechanisms that drive bone marrow failure and leukemia development in Fanconi anemia using human patient samples and mouse models.

Potential specific project aims include:

1. Evaluating hematopoietic stem and progenitor cell dynamics in Fanconi anemia and changes following various innovative treatment modalities using Fanconi anemia clinical samples and mouse models
2. Increasing our understanding of clonal hematopoiesis, bone marrow failure and leukemia development in Fanconi anemia in order to potentially identify novel targets and develop new treatment strategies
3. Investigating the bone marrow microenvironment in settings of bone marrow failure and leukemogenesis with a focus on disease evolution in Fanconi anemia

The scope of our research employs a wide range for techniques including human clinical sample processing, flow cytometry, RNASeq/single cell transcriptome analysis, high-through put sequencing, DNA damage analysis, in vivo mouse disease models, humanized-mouse models, bone marrow transplantation, molecular cloning, tissue culture, proteomics, confocal microscopy and lentiviral transduction.

The postdoctoral fellow will have individualized mentorship tailored to his or her personal career and publications goals including regular meetings with Dr. Czechowicz to guarantee a successful fellowship. The fellow will also engage in a vibrant scientific discourse with the spectacular Stanford stem cell community and enjoy a positive and impact-oriented work environment. The fellow will also be expected to occasionally teach or mentor students and to help foster a productive learning environment, and additionally the fellow will have opportunities for clinical exposure if interested.

It is intended that the postdoctoral fellow will contribute to making important biomedical discoveries, and simultaneously grow through this position and develop the skills necessary to become a strong contributor to the advancement of science and/or medicine. This is an ideal role for fellows looking for subsequent opportunities in academia, industry or other associated business areas.

Requirements:

Postdoctoral fellow candidates must have a PhD, MD or MD/PhD. Candidates must have gained knowledge in hematopoiesis and/or cancer research, and be interested in bone marrow transplantation. Further, a prior background in DNA repair and/or Fanconi anemia would be a significant plus. In order to be considered, candidates should have:

·       demonstrated the ability to work independently

·       shown initiative and prior research productivity

·       attention to details

·       strong motivation to explore new techniques and concepts

·       collaborative team spirit

·       excellent communication skills

·       positive attitude

·       adherence to highest ethical principles

Candidates with interest in translational biomedical research and prior experience in Fanconi anemia, hematopoiesis, leukemia,  cancer biology, cell therapy, DNA repair, and/or bone marrow transplantation are strongly encouraged to apply.

Please email an updated CV, complete contact information for three references and a short cover letter describing past research experience, career goals and a statement of future research interest (1 page) to Beatrice Raquel Ochoa at beatrice.ochoa@stanford.edu.

Posted Date: November 2017
Job Location: Bertaina Laboratory, Grant Research Building, Stanford University

The Bertaina Laboratory has multiple openings for highly creative and motivated postdoctoral fellows with an interest in stem cell transplantation and molecular/genomic characterization and therapeutic targeting of leukemia stem cells in pediatric hematologic malignancies. Successful candidates will join the Pediatric Division of Stem Cell Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine.

Our group aims to understand how gd T-cells immune reconstitution (especially after ab T-cell depleted haploidentical stem cell transplantation) impact on the outcome of children affected by either malignant and life-threatening non-malignant disorders. gd T-cells combine conventional adaptive features with rapid, innate-like responses that place them in the initiation phase of immune reactions. In addition, they recognize tumor cells without recourse to the classical major histocompatibility complex (MHC) presentation. For this reason, they are the ideal cellular target for strategies of immunotherapy.

We also are interested in identifying new biomarkers of graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), a severe, sometime fatal immune-mediate post-transplant complication. Increasing our basic science understanding, will help us to develop novel target to expand treatment options for this disease. To do so, we are studying small molecules of RNA (microRNA), their target proteins and, in parallel, cytokines secreted in the serum. Our laboratory is planning to use a variety of exciting new tools and methods to unlock future discoveries.

Moreover, we are investigating Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia (JMML), a rare and aggressive leukemia of early childhood characterized by aberrant proliferation of myelomonocytic cells, progressive anemia, thrombocytopenia, hepatosplenomegaly and high fetal hemoglobin levels. The prognosis of JMML is poor and, so far, the only curative treatment is allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. This highlights the urgent need to develop novel therapeutic approaches able to improve the current treatment results in JMML patients. To address this goal, the mechanisms of JMML leukemogenesis must be elucidated in order to be pharmacologically targeted.

All these projects have the potential for highly informative and very productive findings in terms of publication and innovative clinical implications.

The scope of our research employs a wide range for techniques including tissue culture, flow cytometry, RNASeq/single cell transcriptome analysis, genomics, proteomics and in vivo mouse disease models.

Regular meetings between post-doctoral fellows and PI will be assured to guarantee that mutual expectations and goals are met.

Requirements:

Candidates must have a PhD or MD/PhD in which s/he has gained knowledge in cell and molecular biology, stem cell biology, developmental biology, immunology, or cancer biology.

Candidates should have demonstrated ability to work independently, self-initiative, attention to details, be dedicated and self-motivated. Collaborative team spirit, strong communication skills, positive attitude and adherence to highest ethical principles are necessary to be considered.

Candidates with prior experience in flow cytometry, molecular/genomic characterization of leukemia stem cells, mouse handling, proteomics and genomics are strongly encouraged to apply. Please email an updated CV, complete contact information for three references and a short cover letter describing their past research experience, career goals and a statement of future research interest (1 page) to Elizabeth Alarcon at elarcon@stanford.edu.