Postdoctoral Fellow - Hematological Malignancies Translational Science

Join the forefront of groundbreaking research at the Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, where we’re changing lives and making a real difference in the fight against cancer, diabetes, and other life‑threatening illnesses. Our dedicated and compassionate faculty and staff are driven by a common mission: contribute to innovative approaches in predicting, preventing, and curing diseases, shaping the future of medicine through cutting‑edge research.

A Postdoctoral Fellowship opportunity is immediately available for the highly motivated individual in the laboratory of Ling Li, Ph.D., in the Department of Hematological Malignancies Translational Science, Department of Pediatrics, and Gehr Family Center for Leukemia Research.

You will directly work on the following projects:

• Development of induced pluripotent stem cell‑based human disease models.
• Understanding the role of immunity during tumorigenesis as well as disease relapses in order to design novel inhibitors, CAR‑T cell therapy and antibody‑based approach to intervene the malignancies.
• Identification of novel therapeutic target using high‑throughput CRISPR genetic screen (e.g., metabolic pathway, mitochondria structure) in immune cells.

The Li group conducts the most forefront science and is highly productive with publications in high‑impact journals in the past five years, Nature Cancer (2024, 2026), Blood (2022, 2019, 2019), Blood Cancer Journal (2022), Cell Stem Cell (2018). The Li research program is supported by multiple NIH (R01s), American Cancer Society, The Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation and several other prestigious private awards.

• Conduct the research project independently in one of listed research areas.
• Supervise research intern in the lab.
• Write the research papers, protocols and organize data for grant application.
• Excellent communication skills, as the basis of internal or external collaboration.

• PhD or M.D. with a strong background and profound knowledge in the field of either molecular biology, immunology, cancer biology, experience in sequencing or protein structural data analysis is highly preferred. Background with pharmacology, cell therapy or antibody engineering is also desired.
• Strong experience in induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) establishment possessing a deep understanding of the entire reprogramming process, from the sourcing of somatic cells to the final characterization and banking of high‑quality, pluripotent lines. This expertise involves mastering numerous technical challenges, staying current with diverse reprogramming methods, and implementing rigorous quality control throughout the workflow.
• Literature knowledge of one of the research areas mentioned above.
• Evidence of scientific rigor and excellence as documented by peer‑reviewed publications, strong troubleshooting skills.
• Strong team player with excellent communication skills and fluency in English, both spoken and written.

City of Hope is an equal opportunity employer.