Senior Research Officer

To support this vision, the Garvan Institute has established strategic programs that bring together research expertise and cutting-edge technologies from across Garvan, along with clinical, industry and consumer partners. The Cancer Plasticity and Dormancy Program, led by A/Prof Christine Chaffer and Prof Peter Croucher, is one of seven strategic programs at the Garvan Institute.

The Cancer Plasticity and Dormancy Program is focused on discovering the fundamental control mechanisms that regulate cancer cell dormancy and cancer relapse. Our goal is to develop tools to predict relapse and develop new treatments to stop relapse before it occurs. There is a focus on understanding relapse in cancers that spread to the skeleton including, multiple myeloma, breast and prostate cancer. The program has recently established the AllClear program, supported by a major collaborative research accelerator grant from the National Breast Cancer Foundation, to prevent breast cancer relapse. This is a major national and international collaborative program and flagship activity for the program. 

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Senior Research Officer works closely with the AllClear team to lead research into the cellular and molecular mechanisms that control cancer cell dormancy. This will require development of bespoke in vivo experimental models of cellular dormancy in the skeleton. This is a new role and will be accountable for the planning and delivery of specific pre-clinical components of AllClear research.

The Senior Research Officer will work closely with Program Directors and the AllClear team to develop preclinical models of dormancy, the tools to define cellular and molecular mechanisms of dormancy control and develop and test relapse targeting strategies.

Salary: Up to $127,400 + 14% super + salary packaging (depending on super)

Employment Type: 2 year maximum term contract with possibility to extend

SNAPSHOT OF BENEFITS

• Generous salary packaging to save you income tax on your wages thereby boosting your monthly take home pay (max. $15,900 general expenses + $2,650 meals/accom)

• Ample opportunities for on-going training and development

• Stimulating, diverse and highly international research environment

• Flexible work arrangements e.g. start / finish times

• 18 weeks paid parental leave for both parents including paid superannuation

• A range of additional leave types to meet your personal needs including cultural leave, conference leave, community service and study leave

• Discounted Health Insurance

• Lifestyle discounts with our community partners

WHAT YOU WILL DO

The key responsibilities include:

The SRO will conduct original research and be required to make contributions in the following areas:

• Research leadership: Plan and deliver research projects efficiently and on time. This includes authoring and publishing findings in peer-reviewed journals.

• Methodology development: Develop and implement new techniques, quantitative methods, and quality control measures to maintain high scientific standards.

• Collaboration: Contribute to research projects that involve both internal team members and external collaborators.

• Disseminate findings: Present original research at national and international scientific conferences and seminars and to internal and external stakeholders

• Scientific writing: Scope, design, prepare, and write scientific manuscripts.

• Mentorship: Supervise and mentor students and junior research staff.

• Grant writing: Work with the AllClear team to develop and prepare research grant proposals for consideration by government and not-for-profit organisations.

ABOUT YOU

The key skills and experience include:

Essential Knowledge, Skills, and Qualifications:

• Education: A PhD, preferably in molecular biology, cell biology, or biochemistry with extensive postdoctoral experience.

• Technical & Computational Skills: Direct experience with wet laboratory techniques, including:

  • Cell and molecular biology techniques (e.g., qRT-PCR, sequencing, site-directed mutagenesis, transfection, gene knockdown, and viral transduction).

  • Flow cytometry and cell sorting.

  • Genomic techniques (e.g., ChIP-seq, single-cell RNA-seq, and CUT&RUN).

  • In vitro cell culture of mammalian cell lines.

  • Animal handling for mouse model experiments.

  • Experience with computational tools and a willingness to develop and learn new techniques.

• Leadership and mentoring:

  • Demonstrated maturity and strategic thinking to progress multiple lines of research in parallel.

  • High motivation and a clear commitment to achieving scientific goals and publishing manuscripts in a timely manner.

  • The ability to work collaboratively with researchers across different laboratories.

  • Experience in supervising and mentoring students

• Publications and grants: A track record of high-quality scientific output, including scientific publications and securing competitive funding.

• Organisational skills: Excellent time management, project management and written communication skills.

Desirable: Knowledge and Skills

• Knowledge: Experience in cancer, immunology or bone biology.

HOW TO APPLY

To apply for this position, please submit your application with a CV and cover letter as one document, stating why you are interested in this role. We are reviewing applications as they are received. If you think you’re the right person for this role, we’d love to hear how your capabilities, achievements and experience set you apart. Only applicants with full working rights in Australia are eligible to apply for this role.