Circulating Tumor Cells for Cancer Diagnosis and Prognosis

A postdoctoral position in translational medicine is available immediately at Scripps Research Institute.  The melanoma fluid biopsy project will be collaboration between Dr. Peter Kuhn and Dr. Jeanne Loring at Scripps Research, and Dr. Kelly Bethel at Scripps Clinic, who are well-established investigators in rare cell biology, stem cell biology, and hematopathology.  A  highly qualified postdoctoral fellow will develop an assay to identify and distinguish circulating melanoma cells (CMCs) from the millions of normal cells already present in the blood.  An assay will be adapted from an already established circulating tumor cell assay used in the Kuhn Laboratory to identify tumor cells in the blood of patients with epithelial cancers. 

This individual will have completed a Ph.D. or MD/PhD on a related topic and preferably a year of postdoctoral research, experience with immunofluorescence staining assays, fluorescent microscopy, fluorescence in-situ hybridization, and mammalian cell culture.  Experience with stem cells is also highly desirable. Suitable candidates must also have excellent organizational and communication skills and must be highly motivated individuals.  Applicants should send a cover letter indicating research skills, experience, goals, and contact information (email address and phone number), curriculum vitae and a minimum of three references to: Peter Kuhn, PhD (enunez@scripps.edu)

 

For related work, please see http://kuhn.scripps.edu

 

 

A postdoctoral position in translational medicine is available immediately in the Kuhn Laboratory, Cell Biology, at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, CA for participation in research using fluid biopsies to investigate therapeutic pressure created by chemo resistance. This position will focus on the EGFR pathway and ERCC1 related DNA repair mechanisms as they relate to chemo resistance and chemo sensitivity cancer biology.

Candidates must have a PhD degree with strong cancer biology training and immunochemistry assay development experience. Knowledge about the biology of non-small cell lung cancer in particular is preferred. Suitable candidates must also have excellent organizational and communication skills and must be highly motivated individuals.  Applicants should send a cover letter indicating research skills, experience, goals, and contact information (email address and phone number), curriculum vitae and a minimum of three references to: Peter Kuhn, PhD (enunez@scripps.edu)

 

For related work, please see http://kuhn.scripps.edu

 

Circulating tumor cell (CTC) enumeration and characterization have the potential of providing a real-time fluid biopsy which would have widespread implications in the way we currently treat, manage, and even diagnose cancer.  Over the past 7 years the Kuhn laboratory has developed an assay to detect CTCs from the blood of cancer patients and has developed new methods and tools to characterize these cells by cytomorphologic and molecular analysis.  This laboratory currently has 6 clinical trials ongoing to investigate the incidence and presence of CTCs over time in patients with breast, colorectal, prostate, lung, and pancreatic cancers and how CTC enumeration and characterization correlates with patient response or non-response to treatment.  The laboratory is looking for talented graduate students to extend this research to further understand the phenotype and genotype of CTCs in
a variety of tumor types as they exist in the blood microenvironment.

Please contact us:
enunez@scripps.edu
cancer@scripps.edu