Scientist​/Sr. Scientist —Cell, Molecular & Chemical Biology; Taosheng Chen Lab

Scientist / Sr. Scientist —Cell, Molecular & Chemical Biology (Taosheng Chen Lab)

Location

Memphis, TN

Category

Laboratory Sciences & Support

Department

Chemical Biology and Therapeutics

Shift

Weekday Day

Position Type

Full Time

Scheduled Weekly Hours

40

JR7744

e Children’s Research Hospital, we know what can be achieved when the brightest scientific minds face the fewest barriers. That’s why we provide world-class facilities. State‑of‑the‑art technologies. Extraordinary support. And a collaborative, bench‑to‑bedside environment where you can see, firsthand, how your science translates into survival for the children we serve. Quite simply, e, we encourage you to dream big and stop at nothing when it comes to finding cures and saving children.

The Taosheng Chen Lab within our Department of Chemical Biology and Therapeutics is seeking a collaborative and innovative Scientist or Senior Scientist with expertise in cell biology, molecular biology, and/or chemical biology to lead research efforts to develop and characterize the mechanisms of action of novel chemical probes—including agonists, antagonists, and degraders—targeting the nuclear receptors PXR and CAR.

The successful candidate will independently design and execute studies, generate high‑quality datasets to test scientific hypotheses, and integrate findings across multiple disciplines. The candidate will work closely with in‑house structural biologists and medicinal chemists to generate complementary data and advance projects, and will take a leading role in organizing and writing multidisciplinary manuscripts.

The Chen Laboratory leverages multidisciplinary approaches to investigate the chemical regulation of nuclear receptors, with the overarching goal of elucidating nuclear receptor‑driven transcriptional networks and developing innovative therapeutic strategies to combat drug resistance and tumorigenesis. Using integrated cellular, molecular, and chemical biology approaches, our research is closely aligned with structural biology and medicinal chemistry, enabling the successful execution of high‑impact, collaborative studies.

This synergistic framework has led to publications in leading journals, including Nature Communications (2017, 2024, 2025) and PNAS (2023), highlighting our contributions to advancing the understanding and therapeutic targeting of nuclear receptor signaling.

The successful candidate will have a strong track record of high‑quality research and publication in peer‑reviewed journals. Relevant experience should include several of the following:

• DNA: cloning, plasmid construction, and related molecular biology techniques
• RNA: RNA isolation, gene expression analysis, and transcriptional profiling
• Proteins
  :
  Western blotting, protein–compound interactions, protein–protein interactions, and/or proteomic profiling
• Small molecules: experience evaluating the cellular activity, mechanism of action, and/or pharmacology of small‑molecule compounds
• Structural biology: a basic understanding of protein crystal structures and ligand–protein interactions is essential for effective collaboration with structural biologists
• Medicinal chemistry: a basic understanding of small‑molecule structures and structure–activity relationships is important for meaningful collaboration with medicinal chemists
• Murine studies experience is a plus

Candidate Profile Priorities

Our search will focus on candidates with:

• Strong cell and molecular biology expertise with exposure to chemical biology
• Experience evaluating small‑molecule mechanisms of action
• An understanding of structural biology and medicinal chemistry concepts
• A demonstrated record of impactful publications, particularly in high‑quality journals
• Academic and industry backgrounds will both be…