A Postdoctoral position is available in the Department of Hematopoietic Biology and Malignancy, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, United States. This position reports to Dr. Xufeng Chen in the Department of Hematopoietic Biology and Malignancy. The Xufeng Chen lab at MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC) seeks a highly motivated Postdoctoral Fellow with a strong biomedical research background to join our team. The Postdoctoral Fellow will receive training and conduct research at the broad intersection of cancer biology and immunology, which will help build a strong portfolio for their future career development. The fellow will work closely with local experimental and/or computational collaborators to explore drug resistance and immune evasion mechanisms in leukemia, such as clonal evolution, cancer antigen presentation, and cancer-immune crosstalk. Additionally, the fellow will collaborate with various comprehensive cores at MDACC to develop novel therapeutic strategies that enhance targeted and immunotherapies. They will also benefit from collaborations with Dr. Chen's former colleagues at various institutes.
We are interested in dissecting the cancer-associated immune evasion mechanisms, establishing their connections with treatment efficacy, and reversing immune evasion to improve outcomes. To achieve this goal, we integrate various cutting-edge experimental and computational approaches in the areas of functional genomics, cell biology, biochemistry, single cell/spatial multi-omics, data mining, drug screening, and disease modeling.
All duties and responsibilities are carried out in compliance with institutional policies, ethical research standards, and applicable federal and state regulations.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
- Advanced Research Design & Execution: Lead independent research projects dissecting cancer-associated immune evasion and drug resistance mechanisms in leukemia.
- Cancer Immunology Expertise: Develop a comprehensive understanding of T-cell-mediated immunity and cancer-associated immune evasion.
- Cutting-Edge Multi-omics & Genomics: Master the integration and analysis of complex datasets, including single-cell/spatial multi-omics, functional genomics, and CRISPR screening.
- Translational Therapeutics Development: Collaborate with comprehensive institutional core facilities to translate basic findings into novel targeted and immunotherapeutic strategies.
- Scientific Leadership & Communication: Lead the drafting of high-impact scientific manuscripts, present findings at multidisciplinary seminars, and collaborate with internal and external research partners.
- Career Independence: Execute a tailored career transition plan to develop the professional skills necessary for a successful move into an independent academic or industry position.
Dr. Chen is deeply committed to the professional fulfillment and career advancement of all trainees. He will develop a tailored transition plan to academia or industry for each fellow, based on their evolving preferences. The Postdoctoral Fellow will have access to the extensive research platforms at MD Anderson and the broader Texas Medical Center, including computation clusters, single-cell core facilities, epigenetics core facilities, flow cytometry facilities, drug screening cores, and animal colonies, among many others.
ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS
Highly motivated individuals who have obtained or are about to obtain a Ph.D. in immunology, cell biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, or a related field, with a preference for those who have achieved significant research results in these areas.
Individuals with a proven track record of publications, excellent written and oral communication skills are required. Preference will be given to those with research experience in hematology (physiology/ pathology), immunotherapy (checkpoint blockade/ CAR-T/ TCR-T), antigen presentation, protein isoforms, RNA splicing, CRISPR screening, single-cell spatial multi-omics, and data mining.
ADDITIONAL APPLICATION INFORMATION
Visit our lab website for more details: https://www.mdanderson.org/research/departments-labs-institutes/labs/xufeng-chen-laboratory/research.html
Dr. Chen graduated from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences with a PhD in Cell Biology, did postdoctoral training at New York University Langone Medical School, and joined MD Anderson Cancer Center as an Assistant Professor in March 2025. He has an excellent track record in highly collaborative and interdisciplinary research in stem cell biology, cancer biology, and immunology, as demonstrated by recent first/co-first author papers:
Stem cell biology: (Chen, Zhang et al., Cell Res, 2014; Zhao, Chen et al., PNAS, 2017; Chen, Zhao et al., Nat Commun, 2018)
Leukemia biology: (Chen et al., Lancet Haematol, 2018; Chen, Glytsou et al., Cancer Discov, 2019; Glytsou, Chen et al., Cancer Discov, 2023)
Immunology/ Cancer immunology: (Cui, Chen et al., Cell Rep, 2016; Chen, Lu et al., Cell, 2023; Wang, Qiao, Chen et al., Trends Immunol, 2024)
POSITION INFORMATION
MD Anderson offers full-time postdoc positions with a salary ranging from $64,000 to $76,000. depending on the number of years of postgraduate experience. The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center offers excellent benefits, including medical, dental, paid time off, retirement, tuition benefits, educational opportunities, and individual and team recognition
Offsite work arrangements are subject to approval and may be modified or revoked at any time based on business needs, performance considerations, or regulatory requirements.
This position may be responsible for maintaining the security and integrity of critical infrastructure, as defined in Section 113.001(2) of the Texas Business and Commerce Code and therefore may require routine reviews and screening. The ability to satisfy and maintain all requirements necessary to ensure the continued security and integrity of such infrastructure is a condition of hire and continued employment.
It is the policy of The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center to provide equal employment opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, age, national origin, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by institutional policy or by federal, state or local laws unless such distinction is required by law. http://www.mdanderson.org/about-us/legal-and-policy/legal-statements/eeo-affirmative-action.html
