Cancer Molecular Biology Targeted Radiotherapeutics – Research Assistant Professor

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville & UT-ORII CRI

Jul 01, 2025

This position is a component of the University of Tennessee - Oak Ridge Innovation institute’s (UT-ORII) Development and Advancement of Radiopharmaceutical Therapies (DART) Convergent Research Initiative (CRI). This position will reside at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK) and have regular collaborations with and visits to Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) as well as collaborations with researchers at UT Health Science Center, Memphis.

The position's faculty appointment will be with UT-ORII at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, situated in close collaboration with the UTK Biochemistry & Cellular and Molecular Biology department (BCMB).

The hired researcher will become part of a growing network of collaborators across UTK, ORNL, and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center that is working to advance the development of targeted alpha-radiation therapy of solid tumors. The hired researcher will investigate molecular and cellular pathways in cancer that can be exploited for targeting and/or to study the downstream effects of radiotherapy on cells.

We are particularly interested in researchers with experience and future research goals in one of the following areas:

• Identifying cancer specific signatures that could be exploited for targeting
• Genomics (especially single cell genomics) of cancer
• DNA damage and repair pathways in cancer
• Molecular / biochemical characterization of potential therapeutic targets
• Cancer organoids or tumor microenvironment co-cultures for evaluation of candidate therapeutics
• Assays that will measure the impact of radiotherapeutics on cells and tissues (microscopy, genomics/proteomics, molecular pathways, DNA damage, etc.)

The hired research faculty will collaborate on DART research projects, proposal preparation, submission, and student mentoring at the graduate level. This 12-month, non-tenure track position is a five-year contract with full salary support for the first year, followed by a gradual decrease in salary coverage such that the successful applicant will receive 50% salary support in year 5 and is expected to receive extramural funding by year 3 or earlier.

The applicant will be expected to recruit graduate students (from the interdisciplinary Genome Science and Technology Program) by year 3. A competitive startup package including support for PhD students and budget for equipment will be offered, and anchor investigators in this CRI will provide mentoring to the hire.

The selected candidate will:

• Develop and lead research studies to study molecular and cellular pathways in cancer that could be targeted with radiotherapeutics and/or the downstream effects of radiotherapy on cellular systems.
• Develop a strong collaboration with the members of this CRI at UTK, UTHSC, and ORNL, as well as with other investigators in the BCMB department.
• Develop applications for extramural funding.
• Present findings to peer groups at conferences and at UT-ORII meetings.
• Advise and supervise graduate students.

• PhD in a field related to the molecular and cellular biology of cancer.
• A track record of relevant peer-reviewed publications relevant areas.
• Strong communication skills and an ability to collaborate with other researchers and advise graduate students.

• Track record in developing grant proposals and securing funding.
• A path to independence as a researcher is desired, though an ‘on-ramp’ through collaboration with more senior investigators is also encouraged.

Additional Information

• This is a 12-month, non-tenure track position.
• The appointment will be with the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
• The primary work location is the University of Tennessee campus in Knoxville, but it may also include visits to collaborator sites on the campuses of ORNL and UTK.
• The position will be implemented as an initial three-year contract with full salary support for the first year, followed by a gradual increase in expected external…