Postdoctoral Research Associate - Developmental Neurobiology

A wet-lab postdoctoral position is available immediately in the Northcott Lab (Department of Developmental Neurobiology) to join a highly collaborative team studying the developmental and molecular basis of the childhood brain tumor medulloblastoma.

The Northcott Lab has established an internationally renowned track record in pediatric neuro-oncology, substantiated by numerous impactful publications in Nature, Cancer Cell, Nature Cancer, Lancet Oncology, and Journal of Clinical Oncology. Leveraging our exquisite access to patient material linked to large clinical trial cohorts, we are applying a combination of innovative, multi-omic approaches to discover new biological, mechanistic, and clinical insights responsible for medulloblastoma initiation, progression, and relapse. The successful applicant will be part of a multi-disciplinary team studying the biological and clinical utility of medulloblastoma liquid biopsies obtained from unprecedented clinical trial cohorts (Smith, Fischer, Han et al, Nature Cancer, 2026).

Research Focus & Responsibilities

• Process clinical samples for next-generation sequencing and multi-omic profiling

• Contribute to studies involving liquid biopsies and single-cell genomics

• Conduct innovative wet-lab research using patient-derived samples

• Perform molecular and cellular biology experiments related to tumor biology

• Collaborate with computational and clinical teams to interpret data and drive discovery

Required Qualifications

• PhD in cancer biology, molecular/cellular biology, biochemistry, immuno-oncology, or a related field

• Strong experimental background in cancer biology and molecular techniques

• Demonstrated productivity with a strong publication record

• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Hands-on experience with:

  • Next-generation sequencing sample preparation

  • Single-cell genomics technologies

  • Liquid biopsy workflows and clinical sample processing

• Exposure to genomics, epigenomics, or transcriptomics

• Basic experience in computational biology or familiarity with bioinformatics tools (e.g., data analysis pipelines, R/Python, or multi-omic data interpretation) is advantageous but not required

No Search Firms

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital does not accept unsolicited assistance from search firms for employment opportunities. Please do not call or email. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee or other representative at St. Jude via email, the internet or in any form and/or method without a valid written search agreement in place and approved by HR will result in no fee being paid in the event the candidate is hired by St. Jude.