Lung Cancer Research
Lab Technician
Description: A lab technician position is available at the Zhang lab (https://med.ucf.edu/wzhang/) in the University of Central Florida (UCF) College of Medicine. The lab is located at the UCF Lake Nona Medical Center. Our projects focus on the integration of microRNAs with cellular metabolism to investigate their cooperative roles in lung cancer early diagnosis and therapy (Cell, 2012; Nature Communications, 2016; Nature Metabolism, 2019; Cancers, 2020). The candidates will receive comprehensive training on cellular biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics, and animal experimentation. It is a terrific opportunity for highly motivated candidates.
Duties: Including but not limited to 1) ordering and maintaining lab stock and resources; 2) conducting and supporting scientific investigations and experiments; 3) recording, analyzing, and presenting data; 4) writing reports, reviews, procedures, proposals, and summaries; 5) supervising staff; 6) providing technical support; 7) modulating lab safety training.
Qualifications: Candidates with a strong background in molecular biology, genetics, cell biology, cancer metabolism, and/or transgenic mouse models are encouraged to apply. Candidates should currently or soon hold a Bachelor’s or a Master’s degree in relevant disciplines. Salary and benefits will follow UCF guidelines. The position will be open until filled. Please send a statement of research experience and career goals, a copy of the Curriculum Vitae, an unofficial transcript/course grades, and contact information for at least three references in one PDF file to Dr. Wencai Zhang (wencai.zhang@ucf.edu).
Graduate Students
The lab welcomes Ph.D., M.D./PH.D., and Master graduate students to join the team. The projects will focus on the integration of microRNAs with cellular metabolism to investigate their cooperative roles in lung cancer early diagnosis and therapy. The candidates will receive comprehensive training on cellular biology, molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics, animal, and bioinformatics. Besides, the graduate students will have opportunities to boost expertise based on our current cutting-edge technology such as 3-dimensional cell cultures and metabolomics. The mentor panel will also include clinicians, chemists, and virology experts according to the needs of the projects. If you are interested in the positions, please send a statement of research experience and career goals, a copy of Curriculum Vitae and contact information for at least three references in one PDF file to Dr. Wencai Zhang (wencai.zhang@ucf.edu).
Postdoctoral Fellows
Description: State-funded postdoctoral positions are available in the Zhang Lab to work on metabolic pathways leading to tumorigenesis and drug-tolerance in lung cancer. It is an exciting collaborative project involving collaborators at the Harvard Medical School, Yale University and the Jackson Laboratory to understand an interplay between noncoding RNAs and metabolic pathways in driving lung precancer development and treatment tolerance towards EGFR-based therapy (Cell, 2012; Nature Communications, 2016; Nature Metabolism, 2019). This project integrates multiple fields including tumor-initiating cell, cellular metabolism, molecular biology, noncoding RNA, pathology, and transgenic mouse lung cancer models. The postdoctoral fellow will work on all aspects of the project. This innovative area of research has the potential to lead to the development of novel therapeutic agents to prevent tumorigenesis and drug resistance. It is a terrific opportunity for highly motivated and creative postdoctoral fellows.
Qualifications: Candidates with a strong background in studying molecular biology/genetics, cell biology, cancer metabolism, and/or transgenic mouse models are encouraged to apply. Candidates should currently or soon hold a doctoral degree and a proven record of scientific productivity. Salary and benefits will follow NIH and UCF guidelines. Please send a statement of research experience and career goals, a copy of Curriculum Vitae and contact information for at least three references in one PDF file to Dr. Wencai Zhang (wencai.zhang@ucf.edu).
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Description: Undergraduate research assistant positions are available in the Zhang Lab to work on metabolic pathways leading to tumorigenesis and drug-tolerance in lung cancer. It is an exciting collaborative project involving collaborators at the Harvard Medical School, Yale University and the Jackson Laboratory to understand an interplay between noncoding RNAs and metabolic pathways in driving lung precancer development and treatment tolerance towards EGFR-based therapy (Cell, 2012; Nature Communications, 2016; Nature Metabolism, 2019). This project integrates multiple fields including tumor-initiating cell, cellular metabolism, molecular biology, noncoding RNA, pathology, and transgenic mouse lung cancer models. The undergraduate research assistant will work on some aspects of the project. This innovative area of research has the potential to lead to the development of novel therapeutic agents to prevent tumorigenesis and drug resistance. It is a terrific opportunity for highly motivated and creative undergraduate students.
Student Responsibilities: Independent experimental design and performance with minimal guidance, including cell culture, real-time PCR, western blot, cell-viability assay, immunofluorescent staining, imaging and data presentation. Other responsibility includes lab duties and potential collaboration with other labs.
Qualifications: Arrange time properly and report data timely and honestly. A minimum of 15 hours per week and a minimum of two semesters for the same project are required. Please send a statement of research experience and career goals, a copy of Curriculum Vitae and contact information for at least three references in one PDF file to Dr. Wencai Zhang (wencai.zhang@ucf.edu).