"Postdoctoral Research Associate - School of Medical Sciences in Tumour Microenvironment"

• Full time, fixed term until November 2028
• Exciting secondment opportunity to work as a Postdoctoral Research Associate within the School of Medical Sciences in Tumour Microenvironment
• Base Salary starting at $113,400 + 17% superannuation

About the opportunity

The School of Medical Sciences is recognised as one of the leading centres for medical science education in the world. With over 100 years of excellence in education, we are proud to be training the next generation of medical scientists who will be leading members of the medical research community with an innovative integrated curriculum. Our team of researchers lead key internationally competitive research from molecules to medicines, from patient to policy across a range of therapeutic areas.

Prostate cancer shows significant clinical and genomic disparity, with men of African ancestry adversely impacted. Having access to globally unique resources, the Hayes Lab is interested in uncovering the genomic and environmental drivers for this health disparity. Using largely bulk multi-omic approaches, the team has been identifying African-specific molecular subtypes, which have been further linked to patient-matched environmental exposures. Here the team has been funded to interrogate for the role of toxic heavy metals, with their known endocrine disruptive potential. While revealing new insights, the next phase of this research is to undercover which cells within the prostate tissue are most susceptible to toxic heavy metals, their impact on cancer growth and associated aggressive disease and health disparities. Ultimately, the successful candidate will aim to determine the role of heavy metals in the initiation and evolution of prostate cancer through fostering recent advances in single-cell proteomic technologies, including a most recent Australian Prostate Cancer Foundation (ACRF) Single Cell Proteomic Laboratory.

The successful candidate should have a PhD in bioinformatics, computational biology, cancer genomics or a related field with essential PhD experience in single-cell research and data analytics, ideally in proteomics or transcriptomics. The candidate should have evidence for high-impact publications, experience working with HPC environments, fluent in R, while ideally have demonstrated experience in cancer or evolutionary genomics.

Your key responsibilities will be to:

• conduct research, scholarly or professional activity independently or as part of a team, contributing to discipline knowledge
• develop and refine independent research skills under the supervision of more senior academic staff
• provide informal and formal mentoring and advice to students within the discipline
• carry out administrative tasks and contribute to faculty and school meetings
• contribute to a positive workplace culture that values diversity of thought, collaboration, excellence and achieving outcomes
• understand and contribute to furthering the university and faculty or school strategic agenda
• undertake other duties and contribute to projects appropriate within the classification level as required.

About you

• PhD in a relevant field is preferred
• demonstrated understanding of the subject matter within the discipline
• experience conducting original research and or engaging in scholarly activity
• a developing research profile in their discipline or area of expertise, through evidence of high-impact publication
• a developing network of academic, industry and professional partners and stakeholders
• strong research capability, planning and organisational skills
• demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and deliver presentations
• strong computer literacy.

Sponsorship / work rights for Australia

Work Rights: you must have unrestricted work rights in Australia for the duration of this employment to apply. Visa sponsorship is not available for this appointment.

Pre-employment checks

Your employment is conditional upon the completion of all role required pre-employment or background checks in terms satisfactory to the University. Similarly, your ongoing employment is conditional upon the satisfactory maintenance of all relevant clearances and background check requirements. If you do not meet these conditions, the University may take any necessary step, including the termination of your employment.

EEO statement

At the University of Sydney, our shared values include diversity and inclusion and we strive to be a place where everyone can thrive. We are committed to creating a University community which reflects the wider community that we serve. We deliver on this commitment through our people and culture programs, as well as key strategies to increase participation and support the careers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, women, people living with a disability, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and those who identify as LGBTIQ. We welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds.

How to apply

Applications (including a cover letter, CV, and any additional supporting documentation) can be submitted via the Apply button at the top of the page.

For employees of the University or contingent workers, please login into your Workday account and navigate to the Career icon on your Dashboard. Click on USYD Find Jobs and apply.

For a confidential discussion about the role, or if you require reasonable adjustment or any documents in alternate formats, please contact Ajaypal Singh, Recruitment Operations by email to ajaypal.singh@sydney.edu.au.

Click to view the Position Description for this role.

Applications Close

Sunday 15 February 2026 11:59 PM