Research Scientist, Cancer Biology and Osteosarcoma, Levi Lab

WHY UT SOUTHWESTERN?
With over 75 years of excellence in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, UT Southwestern is committed to excellence, innovation, teamwork, and compassion. As a world-renowned medical and research center, we strive to provide the best possible care, resources, and benefits for our valued employees. Ranked as the number 1 hospital in Dallas-Fort Worth according to U.S. News & World Report, we invest in you with opportunities for career growth and development to align with your future goals. Our highly competitive benefits package offers healthcare, PTO and paid holidays, on-site childcare, wage, merit increases and so much more. We invite you to be a part of the UT Southwestern team where you'll discover a culture of teamwork, professionalism, and a rewarding career!

JOB SUMMARY
Plans, coordinates, directs, and participates in work of smaller research project or major unit of large research project in field of specialization for which incumbent is particularly qualified in terms of extensive training and/or experience.

The Levi Laboratory seeks to improve the lives of people with cancer and musculoskeletal injury through rigorous, collaborative, and compassionate science. The laboratory studies how tumor cells interact with nerves, immune cells, vascular cells, fibroblasts, and skeletal tissues to regulate disease progression and therapeutic response.

Current osteosarcoma projects investigate sensory and sympathetic signaling within the tumor microenvironment, including adrenergic receptor pathways; tumor growth and vascularization; cell-cycle and survival signaling; local invasion and lung metastasis; cancer-associated pain; and opportunities to repurpose or develop targeted therapies. The program combines human tissue analysis, osteosarcoma cell lines and three-dimensional models, orthotopic animal models, quantitative imaging, flow cytometry, and single-cell or bulk transcriptomic analysis.

The Research Scientist will work closely with the Principal Investigator and an interdisciplinary team of surgeons, cancer biologists, neuroscientists, pathologists, computational scientists, and trainees. The successful candidate will help define experimental strategy, independently execute studies, establish reproducible workflows, analyze complex datasets, and translate results into manuscripts, presentations, grant applications, and future therapeutic studies.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Design and execute hypothesis-driven studies addressing osteosarcoma initiation, growth, heterogeneity, invasion, metastasis, cancer-associated pain, and treatment response.
• Investigate tumor-intrinsic signaling and tumor microenvironment interactions, including neural, neuropeptide, adrenergic, immune, stromal, and vascular mechanisms.
• Develop and maintain osteosarcoma cell culture systems, including established or patient-derived models when available, drug-response assays, proliferation and viability assays, migration or invasion assays, and three-dimensional spheroid or extracellular matrix models.
• Conduct in vivo cancer studies using orthotopic and other appropriate osteosarcoma models, including animal handling, tumor implantation, injections or drug administration, longitudinal monitoring, bioluminescence imaging, tissue collection, and assessment of primary tumors and pulmonary metastases.
• Perform molecular and cellular assays such as DNA and RNA extraction, PCR and qPCR, western blotting, ELISA, cloning, gene perturbation or CRISPR-Cas9 approaches, and next-generation sequencing workflows.
• Perform tissue processing and quantitative pathology, including fixation, decalcification, embedding, sectioning, H&E staining, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, slide scanning, confocal microscopy, and image analysis.
• Use flow cytometry and cell sorting to identify and isolate malignant, immune, stromal, and vascular populations from tumors and metastatic tissues.
• Support single-cell and bulk RNA sequencing studies from experimental design and tissue dissociation through quality control, cell annotation, pathway analysis, cell-state analysis, and biological validation in collaboration with computational colleagues.
• Evaluate candidate therapeutics and pathway inhibitors in vitro and in vivo using appropriate controls, dose and time-course studies, blinded outcome assessment, and reproducible statistical analysis.
• Maintain accurate experimental records; manage cell lines, mouse colonies, human tissue samples, reagents, and datasets; and ensure compliance with institutional biosafety, animal-use, and human-subjects requirements.
• Develop, optimize, document, and train others in standard operating procedures that improve rigor, reproducibility, efficiency, and data quality.
• Analyze and interpret data using relevant statistical, imaging, and bioinformatics tools; troubleshoot unexpected results; and revise experimental approaches based on evidence.
• Prepare figures, manuscripts, abstracts, presentations, progress reports, and grant materials, and present work at laboratory meetings and scientific conferences.

PREFERRED SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL EXPERIENCE

• Research experience in cancer biology, sarcoma biology, bone biology, tumor microenvironment biology, cancer neuroscience, metastasis, or a closely related field.
• Hands-on experience with mammalian cell culture and functional cancer assays, ideally including osteosarcoma models, pharmacologic perturbation, and three-dimensional spheroid, organoid, or extracellular matrix systems.
• Experience with mouse cancer models, preferably orthotopic xenograft or syngeneic models, longitudinal tumor measurements, bioluminescence imaging, drug administration, survival studies, and metastatic burden assessment.
• Proficiency in molecular biology methods such as PCR, qPCR, western blotting, nucleic acid isolation, cloning, gene knockdown or knockout, CRISPR-Cas9 editing, and library preparation for next-generation sequencing.
• Experience with histology and quantitative imaging, including bone or mineralized tissue processing, decalcification, immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, confocal or whole-slide imaging, and image-based quantification.
• Experience with multicolor flow cytometry, fluorescence-activated cell sorting, and analysis of heterogeneous tumors or metastatic tissues.
• Experience generating or analyzing single-cell RNA sequencing, bulk RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomic, or other multiomic data. Familiarity with R, Python, Seurat, Scanpy, or related tools is advantageous.
• Understanding of cancer cell signaling, cell-cycle control, apoptosis, angiogenesis, immune and stromal biology, extracellular matrix remodeling, and mechanisms of invasion, metastasis, and treatment resistance.
• Experience with rigorous experimental design, power and sample-size considerations, randomization, blinding, data visualization, statistical analysis, and transparent reporting.

PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCIES

• Ability to mentor and supervise junior research personnel while fostering a respectful, inclusive, collaborative, and accountable laboratory culture.
• Demonstrated ability to plan and advance multiple projects with increasing scientific independence.
• Strong critical thinking, troubleshooting, organizational, and project-management skills.
• Excellent scientific writing, oral communication, figure preparation, and data-presentation skills.
• Ability to collaborate across disciplines and communicate effectively with basic scientists, clinicians, computational researchers, trainees, and external partners.
• Commitment to research integrity, reproducibility, responsible data stewardship, laboratory safety, and respectful mentorship.

REPRESENTATIVE RESEARCH THEMES

• Neural regulation of osteosarcoma
• Tumor-stroma communication involving macrophages, vascular cells, fibroblasts, and peripheral nerves.
• Mechanisms controlling osteosarcoma proliferation, cell-cycle progression, survival, invasion, vascularization, and lung metastasis.
• Therapeutic targeting and drug repurposing for tumor control, metastasis reduction, and cancer-associated pain.
• Integration of human specimens, preclinical models, quantitative imaging, and single-cell or multiomic data to identify clinically actionable biology.

BENEFITS
UT Southwestern is proud to offer a competitive and comprehensive benefits package to eligible employees. Our benefits are designed to support your overall wellbeing, and include:

• PPO medical plan, available day one at no cost for full-time employee-only coverage
• 100% coverage for preventive healthcare-no copay
• Paid Time Off, available day one
• Retirement Programs through the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS)
• Paid Parental Leave Benefit
• Wellness programs
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Qualified Employer
• Learn more about these and other UTSW employee benefits!

EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION

Required

• Education
  PhD with major course work in the field of assignment or
  Master's Degree with major course work in the field of assignment or
  Bachelor's Degree with major course work in the field of assignment
  

• Experience
  5 years of research experience in the field of assignment with PhD including
  2 years at the level of Senior Research Associate or its equivalent or
  7 years of research experience in the field of assignment with Master's degree including
  3 years at the level of Senior Research Associate or its equivalent or
  9 years of research experience in the field of assignment with Bachelor's degree including
  4 years Level of Senior Research Associate or its equivalent.
  

JOB DUTIES

• Plans, organizes coordinates, directs, and personally participates in assigned scientific or medical research project. Selects or assists in selection of key research personnel. Determines specific goals or objectives to be attained. Assigns and reviews work of subordinates. Plans experimental protocols.
• Reviews and analyzes resulting research data. Revises techniques or approaches to work problems as indicated necessary by research data.
• Compiles, writes, and submits research results to supervisor. Prepares or assists in preparation of research papers, reports, and abstracts for publication as one of co-authors.
• Designs, develops, or adapts equipment used in experiments or research to obtain desired results.
• Plans and supervises training of technicians and other laboratory personnel with respect to proper laboratory techniques, use of laboratory equipment, and safety procedures.
• Supervises group of employees of lower grade engaged in performance of technical and professional work, which vary from routine to complex laboratory work tasks.
• May confer with industrial, governmental, or other groups concerning progress or results of research project.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

SECURITY AND EEO STATEMENT

Security
This position is security-sensitive and subject to Texas Education Code 51.215, which authorizes UT Southwestern to obtain criminal history record information.

EEO
UT Southwestern Medical Center is committed to an educational and working environment that provides equal opportunity to all members of the University community. As an equal opportunity employer, UT Southwestern prohibits unlawful discrimination, including discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, disability, genetic information, citizenship status, or veteran status.