Postdoctoral Fellow – Immuno-Oncology Discovery

Location: Gaithersburg, US

Department: Oncology

Our Postdoc Programme is for self-motivated individuals looking to take on interesting, high impact projects in a collaborative, challenging and reputable environment.

Do you have expertise in immunology and passion for tumor-targeting therapies? Would you like to be part of a cross-functional team that is driving the discovery of the next-generation of drugs for treating cancer? At AstraZeneca, we follow the science and turn ideas into life-changing medicines. Apply today if you want to join the Immuno-Oncology Discovery group within the Early Oncology department and unlock the power of what science can do!

Therapeutic Area Description:

At AstraZeneca, we turn ideas into life changing medicines. Our goal in Early Oncology Discovery is to push the boundaries of science to change the practice of medicine, transform the lives of patients living with cancer, and ultimately eliminate cancer as a cause of death.

Academic Supervisor:

Remy Bosselut, Senior Investigator National Cancer Institute NIH

Project Focus:

A major focus of our group is to understand the mechanisms by which T Cell Engagers can safely orchestrate anti-tumor response and to develop new therapeutic modalities to treat patients with cancer. Our postdoctoral fellow will build on the recently developed CD8-selective T Cell Engager platform to dissect the biology underpinning the activity of these new drug modalities. In collaboration with experienced AZ scientists in bioscience and biologics engineering, you will investigate how these new therapies are engaging the immune system and could be combined with other drugs to fight cancer. Ultimately, this research will help to better understand how these new therapeutics work and will facilitate the development of the next-generation of immuno-oncology drugs.

Key Duties & Responsibilities:

This is a unique opportunity to build on our innovative immuno-oncology pipeline and provide critical insights into the novel biology behind the T Cell Engagers developed at AstraZeneca. This project will directly influence the evolution of our discovery platforms by tackling important questions related to the mechanism of action of these new drug modalities. You will be interacting with highly skilled experts from multiple disciplines and build both technical expertise and a scientific network. Together with the access to state-of-the-art facilities and innovative drug platforms, these resources will strongly facilitate the first-author publication in high-quality journals. This is an exciting opportunity for an outstanding and ambitious biologist with experience in immunology or protein engineering to join the Immuno-Oncology Discovery group within the Early Oncology department.

Develop in vitro assays and in vivo syngeneic models to investigate the contribution of T cell subsets to T Cell Engager function

Dissect the role of T Cell Engagers on immune cell function, migration, and maintenance in syngeneic animal models

Leverage core technology platforms (single-cell proteomic and genomics, multi-fluorescence imaging, spatial transcriptomics) to dissect immune responses in vivo

Collaborate with biologics engineers to design new T Cell Engagers and test new hypotheses

Plan, write, and publish high-quality scientific papers and present at key conferences

Essential Qualifications / Education:

PhD in Biology or related field

A maximum of 4 years of postdoctoral experience.

Strong immunology and tumor biology experience

Proficient in animal model development

Expertise in assays and models to study T cell function in vivo

Extensive experience with multi-color flow cytometry to characterize T cell populations

Strong planning, organizational, and time management skills         

Proven track record of publication in scientific journals and experience in oral presentations

Desirable Requirements:

Experience with cell culture and functional in vitro assays

Familiar with antibody structure and protein engineering strategies is a plus

Understanding of high-dimensional analyses (flow cytometric or genomic) is preferred

Experience with spatial analyses (multi-fluorescent imaging or spatial transcriptomics) is an advantage

Self-driven, results-oriented, and highly motivated individual

Ability to independently design research plans and critically analyse experimental results

Strong interpersonal and collaboration skills

AZ’s Postdoc Programme: https://careers.astrazeneca.com/postdocs-astrazeneca

Life at AstraZeneca: https://careers.astrazeneca.com/life-at-astrazeneca

Req Open Date: Apr 21, 2025

Req Close Date: May 25, 2025

Stages of interview: Applicants are reviewed for fit/skills and invited to each step. You may not be invited to each step. (1) One-way video interview and (2)

Virtual Interview Panel with presentation.

To find out more go to: astrazeneca.com and https://careers.astrazeneca.com/bpd

We anticipate a high volume of applicants, so do not delay, applying today!

Compensation for this role, depending on years of research experience, is a minimum of US$99,900 up to Max of US$107,500 + short-term incentive. Some relocation supplements depend on distance and location at the employer's discretion.

Date Posted

21-Apr-2025

Closing Date

31-Aug-2025Our mission is to build an inclusive and equitable environment. We want people to feel they belong at AstraZeneca and Alexion, starting with our recruitment process. We welcome and consider applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of characteristics. We offer reasonable adjustments/accommodations to help all candidates to perform at their best. If you have a need for any adjustments/accommodations, please complete the section in the application form.