Post-Doctoral Fellow

Job Summary:

The Division of Medical Oncology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine invites applications for a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Translational Oncology Research in the Concannon Laboratory. This is a full-time, mentored fellowship beginning March-June 2027 with an expected duration of at least three years.

The overarching goal of this fellowship is to prepare outstanding trainees for independent research careers in translational immuno-oncology, with a focus on developing next-generation cellular therapies for lung cancer.

The fellowship consists of two integrated components: scholarly research (85%) and education/training (15%).

The research component will focus on the development and validation of CAR T cell-based therapies designed to eradicate minimal residual disease and treatment-resistant lung cancer. The postdoctoral fellow will play a central role in experimental design, execution, data analysis, and interpretation, and will present findings regularly in one-on-one meetings, laboratory meetings, and multidisciplinary research forums.

Given the highly translational and patient-centered nature of this work, the fellow will also have opportunities to engage directly with patient advocacy organizations, including presenting findings in accessible formats and, when appropriate, contributing to public-facing educational efforts.

The remaining 15% of effort will be dedicated to grant writing, mentoring, didactic education, and structured professional development, with the explicit goal of supporting the fellow's transition to independence.

This position reports to Kyle Concannon, MD, Assistant Professor and physician-scientist in the Division of Medical Oncology and a member of the Thoracic Oncology Research Initiative (TORI). Administrative and human resources support are provided by the Division of Medical Oncology.

Key Responsibilities:

75% - Primary Research

• Design, initiate, and execute independent and collaborative research projects
• Perform rigorous literature review, data analysis, and interpretation with guidance from the PI
• Develop and validate CAR T and CAR-BiTE cellular therapy constructs
• Conduct in vitro and in vivo studies, including mouse models
• Collaborate closely with lab members and local, national, and international collaborators
• Maintain clear, transparent, and reproducible documentation of all research activities, including well-annotated and shareable code where applicable

10% - Communication and Dissemination

• Present research progress at lab meetings, project meetings, and individual PI meetings
• Prepare abstracts and present findings at local, national, and international scientific conferences
• Write and publish manuscripts as first or co-author in peer-reviewed journals
• Actively pursue individual fellowship and career development awards

5% - Training and Mentorship

• Develop and document experimental workflows and protocols
• Train and mentor graduate students and research staff in relevant techniques

5% - Career Development

• Participate in career development seminars, workshops, and networking opportunities
• Develop and review an Individual Development Plan (IDP) annually with the PI

5% - Patient and Community Engagement

• Communicate research progress to patient advocacy groups in accessible formats
• Participate, when appropriate, in public-facing educational or outreach efforts

Work Location:

Onsite - this role is expected to work onsite and is located in Aurora, CO.

Why Join Us:

CU Anschutz is an academic medical campus at the forefront of transformative education, science, medicine, and healthcare. From heart disease to cancer, Alzheimer's to COVID-19, our campus and collaborative partnerships advance the life-changing discoveries of tomorrow. We educate 4,500 degree-seeking future health professionals and see over 2 million patient visits annually with $704 million in annual research grants. In the Department of Medicine alone, we have more than 1,000 faculty, 192 residents and 200 fellows distributed in 14 divisions, our clinical, research and academic programs attract the best providers, investigators, staff, and students from around the world who are transforming the future of health care.

In Medical Oncology, our faculty are acknowledged both nationally and internationally for their innovative work in cancer research, resulting in regular collaborations with a variety of institutions globally in addition to collaborations with colleagues within our own division and institution. The focus of our researchers is centered around the development and application of experimental therapeutics and targeted agents for future cancer patient treatment as well as advancing patient-centered care for those facing cancer.

Innovative strides continue to be made in cancer research each day because of the continued passion and dedication by our faculty in the fight…