Postdoctoral Fellow - Cancer Biology

Overview

The Shalapour Laboratory at MD Anderson Cancer Center is seeking a highly motivated and creative Postdoctoral Fellow to join our research program investigating the molecular links between dietary intake, host metabolism, and immune regulation in the context of cancer development and aging.

Our laboratory focuses on deciphering how lifestyle choices—particularly hyper nutrition and specific macro- and micronutrient intake—affect host metabolic pathways and immune cell function. We aim to define how these processes influence the Gut-Liver-Immune axis, with emphasis on mechanisms that drive the initiation and progression of liver cancer. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to contribute to mechanistic studies using advanced experimental systems, with the ultimate goal of developing strategies for immune-restoring interventions and cancer prevention.

Our laboratory employs a broad range of state-of-the-art approaches, including:

• Novel animal models of diet-induced cancer development
• Met-Flow and high-parameter flow cytometry
• Spatial transcriptomics (Visium, Xenium)
• Single-cell RNA-seq and ATAC-seq
• Mass spectrometry-based metabolomics
• Microbiome sequencing and functional analyses
• Genome editing and Cre-line targeting approaches (CRISPR/Cas9)

These platforms, combined with long-term dietary intervention studies and mechanistic validation, provide unique opportunities to explore how nutrient-sensing pathways influence immunometabolism and tumor immunoediting.

All duties and responsibilities are carried out in compliance with institutional policies, ethical research standards, and applicable federal and state regulations.

• Gain cross-disciplinary expertise at the interface of cancer immunology, metabolism, and bioinformatics.
• Acquire proficiency in bioinformatic pipelines (R, Python), particularly for single-cell and multi-omic data integration.
• Develop a strong publication record in high-impact journals and present research findings at leading conferences.
• Receive structured mentorship in scientific writing, grant preparation, and career development.

• The appointee recently (within three years) completed their education (doctorate) or completed previous postdoctoral experience or graduate medical education. Postdoctoral fellows at MD Anderson are appointed to full-time.
• PhD (or equivalent) in Cancer Biology, Immunology, Metabolism, Computational Biology, or related fields.
• Prior experience in bioinformatics and coding (R, Python), with exposure to scRNA-seq or related datasets preferred.
• Strong interest in combining computational and experimental approaches.
• Excellent communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Commitment to collaborative and team-based research.

This position will be required to be onsite full-time.

Interested applicants should send a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and contact information for three references to:

Dr. Shabnam Shalapour
Department of Cancer Biology
Email: sshalapour

You must apply to the postdoctoral posting

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, 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.