Postdoctoral Researcher - Cancer Prevention Vaccine Project

About the role

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Department of Oncology as a Postdoctoral Researcher within the Go-Precise alliance (PRECancer Intervention, Surveillance & Exploration). This innovative initiative, established in 2024, is a collaboration between the University of Oxford and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) aimed at identifying molecular vulnerabilities in precancers and developing targeted interventions, including vaccines, to intercept them.

The project focuses on designing, validating, and preclinically testing neoepitope-based mRNA vaccines to prevent cancers. As a Postdoctoral Researcher, you will play a pivotal role in discovering and validating neoepitopes by analysing immunopeptidomic and genomic sequencing data, as well as interrogating in silico datasets. Working closely with an interdisciplinary team, you will engineer potential neoepitopes into mRNA vaccines, evaluate their immunogenicity using preclinical models, and prepare for their eventual clinical translation.

This post offers the opportunity to engage in cutting-edge translational cancer research within a highly collaborative environment. The successful candidate will work with Professor Sarah Blagden, James Chettle, and GSK collaborators, and will support the broader Go-Precise alliance, which includes projects such as LungVax alongside discovery work in other cancers. The role also includes contributing to laboratory supervision, supporting PhD and master’s students, and presenting findings across the alliance.

The position is based at the Old Road Campus Research Building, Roosevelt Drive, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7DQ, and is offered on a full-time basis for a fixed term of two years.

About you

You will hold a PhD (or be near completion) in a life sciences discipline or a related field such as computer science, mathematics, or statistics. Your expertise in molecular biology, genetics, and/or biochemistry will be complemented by experience in bioinformatics analysis and working in a molecular or biochemistry laboratory. You will also have a detailed understanding of procedures relevant to mammalian cell culture systems.

You will possess strong problem-solving skills and a proven ability to manage and prioritize a high volume of work, ensuring that laboratory operations run efficiently. Your experience supervising or managing laboratory staff, including training and ensuring regulatory compliance, will make you a key contributor to the team.

Effective communication skills, both verbal and written, will enable you to engage confidently with collaborators, team members, and the wider research community. Your flexibility to adapt to changing work patterns and ability to work under pressure without compromising accuracy will be vital to the success of the project.

Desirable qualifications include advanced certification in data science, machine learning, or analytics, expertise in immunohistochemistry and digital imaging techniques, and a current Home Office Animal Licence.

This is a fixed-term, full-time position offering the opportunity to contribute to groundbreaking translational cancer research in a collaborative and intellectually stimulating environment.

Application Process

If you would like to discuss this role, please contact Dr James Chettle at james.chettle@oncology.ox.ac.uk . As part of your online application, you will be required to upload a supporting statement (setting out how you meet the selection criteria), a curriculum vitae, and the names and contact details of two referees.

The closing date for applications is noon on Wednesday, 29th January 2025.

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