Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Cancer Biology and Translational Oncology

Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Cancer Biology and Translational Oncology

IEO - European Institute of Oncology

Milan, Italy

Two postdoctoral research fellow positions are available in the Hormone-Related Cancers and Stem Cell Pathobiology Unit at the European Institute of Oncology (IEO) in Milan, Italy.

We are seeking highly motivated and creative scientists to join a multidisciplinary translational research program focused on understanding how oncogenic signaling, epigenetic regulation, tumor heterogeneity, and cellular plasticity drive cancer progression and therapeutic response.

The successful candidates will contribute to projects aimed at identifying molecular mechanisms of tumor aggressiveness and discovering clinically relevant biomarkers and therapeutic vulnerabilities in epithelial cancers, with a particular focus on breast cancer and other hormone-related malignancies.

The research program integrates mechanistic cancer biology with advanced experimental and analytical approaches, including molecular and cellular biology, functional genomics, epigenomic and transcriptomic profiling, organoids, patient-derived models, multiplex tissue analysis, spatial biology, and multi-omics data integration.

The positions are suitable for candidates with experimental, computational, or hybrid profiles. The specific project will be shaped according to the expertise, interests, and career goals of the selected candidates.

Research activities

The postdoctoral fellows will contribute to several of the following activities:

• Investigating signaling, epigenetic, transcriptional, and metabolic mechanisms that sustain tumor progression and therapy resistance;
• Studying tumor heterogeneity, tissue organization, and tumor–microenvironment interactions in clinically relevant cancer models and human specimens;
• Applying molecular, cellular, genomic, epigenomic, spatial, and imaging-based approaches to identify biomarkers of disease aggressiveness and therapeutic response;
• Using in vitro and in vivo models, including organoids, primary tumor cultures, and patient-derived xenografts;
• Integrating experimental and computational data in a translational oncology framework;
• Contributing to manuscript preparation, scientific presentations, grant-related activities, and collaborative research projects.

Candidate profile

Applicants should hold a PhD, MD/PhD, or equivalent doctoral degree in cancer biology, molecular biology, biotechnology, biomedical sciences, pathology, bioinformatics, computational biology, or a related discipline.

Strong candidates will have experience in one or more of the following areas:

• Cancer biology, molecular biology, or cellular biology;
• Epigenetics, chromatin biology, transcriptional regulation, or genome stability;
• Cancer signaling, metabolism, tumor progression, or therapy resistance;
• Functional genomics, bulk or single-cell sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, or multi-omics analysis;
• Multiplex immunohistochemistry, multiplex immunofluorescence, advanced microscopy, or tissue-based analysis;
• In vitro and/or in vivo cancer models.

Excellent spoken English, strong communication skills, scientific curiosity, and the ability to work in a collaborative environment are essential.