Postdoctoral Fellow – Tumor Microenvironment, Cancer Immunology, and Organoid Engineering

Employer: Sawada Laboratory, Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Location: Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida

Salary: Salary and fringe benefits will be compliant with guidelines established by the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

The laboratory of Dr. Junko Sawada at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, is seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Research Fellow to join an interdisciplinary research program investigating the interactions among stromal cells, immune cells, and the tumor microenvironment in cancer.

A major focus of this position is the development of human lymphoid organoid culture systems to model tertiary lymphoid structures (TLSs) and anti-tumor immune responses. The successful candidate will use primary human cells and advanced cell culture technologies to establish physiologically relevant models of the human immune microenvironment. These studies will be complemented by proof-of-concept studies in mouse models to investigate immune responses and evaluate novel immunotherapeutic strategies in vivo.

The project integrates cancer immunology, tissue engineering, stromal cell biology, and translational research through human organoid culture, mouse models, molecular and cellular biology, advanced imaging, flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, and transcriptomic approaches.

Representative publications include Nature Immunology (2025; PMID: ), Cancer Immunology Research (2022; PMID: ), American Journal of Pathology (2021; PMID: ), and Cancer Cell (2012; PMID: ).

Applicants should have:

• A Ph.D. (or expected completion) in Immunology, Cell Biology, Cancer Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Tissue Engineering, Regenerative Medicine, or a related field.
• A strong publication record, including at least one first-author research article demonstrating scientific creativity and rigorous experimental design.
• A strong interest in cancer immunology, the tumor microenvironment, and translational research.

Experience in one or more of the following areas is desirable:

• Human organoid culture
• Primary human cell culture
• Tissue engineering or biomaterials
• Fibroblast biology
• Cancer immunology
• Flow cytometry
• Immunohistochemistry or immunofluorescence
• Confocal microscopy
• Molecular and cellular biology
• Single-cell RNA sequencing or bioinformatics
• Mouse models of cancer or immune diseases

Interested applicants should submit:

• Curriculum vitae (CV)
• Publication list
• A brief statement describing research interests, previous research experience, and career goals
• Contact information for 2-3 professional references