Faculty Position: Cancer Cell Surfaceome​/Novel Therapeutic Design Scientist

Open-Rank Faculty Position

The Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center in Arizona invites applications for an open-rank faculty position with a commitment to advancing cancer research into clinical impact. This initiative sits at the intersection of basic discovery science defining cell surfaceome mapping and immune-antigen discovery, through the development of cellular therapeutics, vaccine manufacturing, immuno-therapeutics, and theranostics, supported by strong clinical and clinical trial programs and strategic collaborations.

Qualified investigators will have a focus along the continuum from discovery science on the identification and characterization of cancer-related epitopes and the associated immunologic response as the foundation of novel therapeutics for clinical deployment in the setting of cancer prevention in high-risk individuals, early cancer detection, mitigation of nascent cancer progression ("cancer interception"), and therapeutic applications for established disease. Potential therapeutic designs include but are not limited to cellular therapeutics, vaccine modalities and radiotheranostics.

The Research Scientist will:

• Participate in institutional initiatives aligned with Mayo Clinic and Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center's vision to Cure, Connect, and Transform cancer care through transformative science.
• Lead an independent, externally funded research program in developmental therapeutics for translational science focused within the continuum of cancer cell surfaceome mapping through novel cancer therapeutics.
• Collaborate across multidisciplinary teams to translate discoveries into clinical-grade therapeutics with coordination of internal/external manufacturing processes.
• Actively engage in Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center activities.
• Engage in enterprise-wide collaborations across Mayo Clinic sites with external partners, including Arizona State University, and numerous biotechnology partners.
• Mentor trainees and contribute to a collaborative, inclusive research environment.

Key areas of scientific focus include:

• RNA Biology & Transcriptomic Insights
• Immunopeptidomics & Antigen Presentation
• AI-Driven Target Prediction & Prioritization
• Immune Receptor Discovery & Modeling
• Binder & Platform Development
• Therapeutic Applications
• First-In-Human Therapeutic Development
• Clinical & Translational Relevance
• End-to-End Target Nomination Pipeline

The successful candidate will be a key driver in bridging and accelerating the drug discovery and development pipeline with AI-embedded technologics through manufacturing to testing of novel therapeutics in coordination with the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center Phase 1 clinical trials program.

Mayo Clinic and Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center in Arizona offers a highly collaborative and integrated academic medical center environment with expanding strengths in cell therapy, cancer immunotherapy, regenerative medicine, and translational science. Faculty benefit from:

• Established CAR-T and immune cell therapy programs with active clinical translation
• State-of-the-art genome engineering and cell manufacturing infrastructure
• Access to institutional core facilities including genomics, single-cell sequencing, proteomics, bioinformatics, and advanced imaging
• Focused drive to launch first-in-human trails to bring new treatments to patients
• Dedicated institutional support for regulatory strategy, clinical trial development, and commercialization pathways
• Developing biotechnology corridor attracting partner companies for the accelerating translation of discoveries
• Cross-campus collaboration opportunities with Mayo Clinic sites in Minnesota and Florida

The selected candidate will help shape a coordinated, forward-looking drug discovery and development program that advances novel agents from bench to bedside.

With 440 members and >1500 aligned cancer physicians working in six Cancer Research Programs and 15 Disease Groups, MCCCC is a global leader and represents the pinnacle of cancer care, research and education and training. Every year, across its three enterprise sites (Rochester, Minnesota; Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona; and Jacksonville, Florida), MCCCC physicians provide expert cancer diagnosis and treatment to more than 150,000 unique patients from across the nation and the globe.

The MCCCC Mission:
To inspire hope and promote health and healing through integrated research, clinical practice, and education, centered around our primary value: the needs of the patient come first.

The MCCCC Vision:
To be a global cancer authority: transforming cancer research and practice to assure that our discoveries, knowledge, and expertise are accessible to all, within and beyond our walls, at anyplace and anytime.

MCCCC Goals: