We are seeking a highly motivated and talented associate scientist to join our team and lead cutting-edge research investigating the therapeutic potential of intrinsically disordered regions. The project will leverage pooled lentiviral screening pipelines of peptide inhibitors to systematically perturb key molecular interactions. This is an exciting opportunity to apply innovative high-throughput screening technologies to reveal new regulatory mechanisms and therapeutic targets. The successful candidates will play a central role in developing and implementing advanced lentiviral-based screening platforms across diverse biological systems, working at the interface of molecular biology, genomics, and translational discovery.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design, optimize, and execute pooled lentiviral screening workflows for large-scale peptide inhibitor characterization
• Collaborate closely with bioinformaticians and project investigators to ensure robust experimental design, data acquisition, and analysis.
• Support the development of innovative experimental strategies to expand and enhance existing screening capabilities.
• Contribute to collaborative research outputs, including publications and conference presentations.

Ideal Candidate:

• PhD (or equivalent experience) in Molecular Biology, Cell Biology, Genetics, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated expertise in the design, production, and application of lentiviral vectors for genetic manipulation and screening.
• Proven track record in developing, implementing, or applying high-throughput genetic perturbation or functional screening approaches.
• Excellent organisational, communication, and record-keeping skills.
• Strong problem-solving ability and capacity to work independently as well as collaboratively.

Desirable Attributes:

• Extensive expertise in the design, production, and application of lentiviral libraries for large-scale screening.
• Familiarity with large-scale data generation and interpretation in screening contexts.
• Proven expertise in the design and execution of assays to characterise protein–protein interactions.
• Evidence of contributions to collaborative research initiatives or consortia.
   

About the Research Environment:

The Davey lab has recently joined the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology to launch a research program applying high-throughput screening approaches to uncover the therapeutic potential of intrinsically disordered regions. The post-holder will work within a collaborative, supportive team and benefit from world-class core facilities and excellent opportunities for professional development.

What problem are we tackling? Target discovery is a critical foundation of drug development, underpinning efforts to overcome the persistent challenges of drug resistance, emerging pathogens, and complex diseases that lack effective therapies. By uncovering novel proteins and molecular pathways driving disease progression, we can enable the rational design of more selective interventions that reduce off-target effects and improve patient outcomes. The development of tool molecules, coupled with detailed characterization of their inhibitory mechanisms, provides a direct bridge between phenotypic observations and small-molecule drug design, accelerating the translation of basic discoveries into clinically actionable therapies.

What is our approach? Short Linear Motifs (SLiMs) are compact functional modules embedded within the intrinsically disordered regions of proteins. They mediate a wide range of regulatory processes, including the assembly of dynamic complexes, recruitment of modifying enzymes, control of protein stability, and specification of subcellular localisation. Despite their central role in cellular regulation, SLiM-binding pockets remain a largely untapped class of therapeutic targets. By applying large scale base-editing and peptide inhibitor studies the project will address three key questions: (i) How essential are SLiM-mediated interactions for cellular fitness? (ii) Does SLiM essentiality differ between healthy and diseased cells? (iii) Can these interactions be selectively targeted for therapeutic intervention?

Minimum Education and/or Training:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant scientific area

Minimum Experience:

• 7 + years of research experience is required with a Bachelor's degree.
• 5 + years of research experience is required with a Master’s degree.
• 2 + years of research experience is required with a PhD.

Compensation

In recognition of certain U.S. state and municipal pay transparency laws, St. Jude is including a reasonable estimate of the compensation range for this role. This is an estimate offered in good faith and a specific salary offer takes into account factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets, experience and training, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. It is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the salary range and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current salary range is $65,520 - $114,400 per year for the role of Associate Scientist (Pooled Lentiviral Base Editing Screening).

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