Ponce Health Sciences University (PHSU), located in Southern Puerto Rico, specializes in studying health care disparities in Hispanic/Latinas. To reduce these disparities PHSU currently holds three U54 institutional grants, including the U54 cancer Partnership between Moffitt Cancer Center and PHSU, RCMI, and the Hispanic Alliance (in collaboration with UPR-Ciencias Médicas and Universidad Central del Caribe). These U54 mechanisms will provide the applicant with frequent seminars and training opportunities.
The position is for a newly-funded R01 awarded for five years to study the role of centrosome-associated mitotic kinases in driving poor prognosis in African American and Hispanic/Latino cancer patients. The project will involve addressing how inhibition of mitotic kinases that are dysregulated explicitly in these ethnic/racial groups can suppress cell viability, and early stages of metastasis (the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition, cell migration, and invasion) using 3-D models. The project also involves the use of Patient-Derived Xenograft (PDX) models to address how the inhibition of centrosome-associated mitotic kinases suppresses growth and early metastasis. The applicant must possess a Ph.D. in cell biology, biochemistry, or biomedical sciences, or be within one or two months of their thesis defense. The applicant must be familiar with mouse models to study cancer and be willing to handle mice and perform animal surgeries. The applicant must be familiar with molecular techniques such as quantitative real-time PCR, western blots, and immuno-histochemistry. Also, the applicant must know how to perform cell culture, especially developing organoids in 3D culture models. The applicant must be proficient in writing and speaking English. The salary is based on NIH standards, and full benefits (e.g. health insurance, paid vacations) are provided.
