Postdoctoral Fellow in Prostate Cancer Metabolism

Postdoctoral Research Fellow Cancer Metabolism/ Immunometabolism

The El-Kenawi Laboratory at Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center (NCI-designated) is seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral fellow to investigate metabolic mechanisms of immune suppression in the prostate tumor microenvironment. Our research focuses on understanding how cancer cells exploit metabolic symbiosis with neighboring cells to drive therapeutic resistance, with particular emphasis on cholesterol metabolism and its role in hormonal therapy resistance.

This position offers exceptional training opportunities in cutting-edge metabolomics (Orbitrap LC-MS), cancer immunology, and translational cancer research in a collaborative, well-funded environment.

Research Focus

• Metabolic interactions in the tumor microenvironment
• Cancer immunometabolism and immune cell suppression
• Cholesterol metabolism in therapeutic resistance
• Nutrient scavenging mechanisms in cancer progression

Key Responsibilities

• Design and execute independent research projects on cancer metabolism and immune cell function
• Perform advanced metabolomics using LC-MS (Orbitrap) and integrate multi-omic datasets
• Conduct molecular biology, flow cytometry, and functional immunology assays
• Work with preclinical mouse models of prostate cancer and clinical samples
• Prepare manuscripts, present at conferences, and contribute to grant applications
• Mentor graduate and undergraduate students

What We Offer

• Competitive salary following NIH guidelines with comprehensive benefits
• Access to state-of-the-art metabolomics core (Orbitrap LC-MS) and NCI-designated cancer center facilities
• Collaborative research environment with leading cancer researchers
• Professional development opportunities including grant writing training and career mentorship
• Support for conference presentations and networking