Associate Scientist or Scientist- dos Santos's Lab

Join our Team!

The dos Santos laboratory in the Department of Oncology e Children's Research Hospital is seeking a highly motivated Associate Scientist or Scientist to support and advance research investigating cancer initiation and progression, epithelial-stromal interactions, and systemic influences on cancer risk.

The successful candidate will provide scientific and technical leadership for animal-model and organoid-based studies. This individual will work closely with the principal investigator, trainees, research staff, and institutional shared-resource teams to design, execute, analyze, and document rigorous experiments. The position is intended for an experienced scientist who can independently manage complex projects while also helping laboratory members troubleshoot experiments, implement new approaches, and maintain high standards of reproducibility and animal welfare.

The selected candidate will be appointed at the Associate Scientist or Scientist level, based on their experience, demonstrated scientific independence, technical expertise, and leadership achievements.

• Demonstrated experience with mouse models and animal experimentation.
• Experience with primary cell culture, three-dimensional culture, organoids, or tissue-derived experimental systems.
• Strong understanding of experimental design, biological controls, reproducibility, and quantitative data interpretation.
• Ability to independently plan, execute, troubleshoot, and document complex experiments.
• Strong organizational and oral-communication skills.

• Design, coordinate, and execute studies using genetically engineered, syngeneic, transplantation, and treatment-based mouse models of mammary gland biology and breast cancer.
• Manage mouse breeding strategies, cohort generation, genotyping plans, experimental randomization, and longitudinal monitoring.
• Perform or oversee animals procedure and tissue collection
• Develop and maintain detailed experimental timelines and animal-cohort records.
• Assist with preparation, implementation, and amendment of IACUC protocols.
• Ensure compliance with institutional animal-welfare policies, biosafety requirements, and approved experimental procedures.
• Support the training of laboratory personnel in relevant animal procedures and confirm technical competency.

• Establish, maintain, and optimize primary mammary epithelial and tumor organoid cultures from mouse and human specimens.
• Design and conduct organoid assays evaluating growth, differentiation, lineage plasticity, hormone response, extracellular-matrix interactions, and therapeutic sensitivity.
• Develop co-culture systems incorporating fibroblasts, immune cells, extracellular-matrix components, or other microenvironmental populations.
• Perform organoid-forming, branching, invasion, viability, differentiation, and drug-response assays.

• Perform or supervise molecular and cellular assays, including flow cytometry, immunofluorescence, immunohistochemistry, microscopy, quantitative image analysis, western blotting, qPCR, ELISA, and related approaches.
• Support thre preparation of high-quality specimens for bulk RNA sequencing, single-cell RNA sequencing, spatial profiling, epigenomic assays, proteomics, and other molecular analyses.
• Maintain detailed, accurate, and reproducible experimental records.

• Collaborate with the principal investigator to develop experimental strategies, establish project priorities, and evaluate feasibility.
• Analyze and interpret data using appropriate statistical and computational methods.
• Identify technical or conceptual problems and develop practical solutions.
• Present findings at laboratory…