Scholarship: Fully-funded
Degree: Bachelor/Master/Ph.D
Nationality: International Students
Location: USA
Application deadlines: Open
Scholarship Description:
The Li Jun Research Group at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill) invites applications for postdoctoral positions. The group focuses on integrating multi-omics data to explore new pathways in precision medicine for cancer, aiming to translate complex biomedical data into actionable treatment strategies for clinical applications. Additionally, the group conducts interdisciplinary research at the intersection of cancer genomics and artificial intelligence, efficiently translating cutting-edge scientific discoveries into precision medicine practices.
Dr. Li Jun is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology at MD Anderson Cancer Center and will join UNC-Chapel Hill as an Associate Professor in the School of Data Science and Society (SDSS) in October 2025. He plans to establish a research lab at SDSS and collaborate with the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Computational Medicine Program, creating a platform that deeply integrates data science and translational medicine.
Dr. Li has a strong focus on cancer genomics analysis, functional proteomics, and the development of AI-driven bioinformatics platforms, with research aimed at transforming complex biomedical data into actionable cancer treatment strategies. He has published over 70 peer-reviewed papers, with more than 53,000 citations and an H-index of 56. His first-author papers have appeared in high-impact journals such as Cancer Cell, Nature Methods, Nature Cancer, Nature Communications, Science Advances, Cancer Research, and Nucleic Acids Research.
The research group encourages interdisciplinary collaboration and technological innovation, having established long-term partnerships with MD Anderson Cancer Center and UT Southwestern Medical Center. The postdoctoral researcher will have the opportunity to work on cutting-edge projects within UNC’s significant cancer research platforms and closely collaborate with multidisciplinary teams from the Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Computational Medicine Program, advancing data-driven translational cancer research. The group will also maintain close cooperation with leading researchers from MD Anderson, UT Southwestern, and UNC School of Medicine to build a high-level research network across institutions.
Available Subjects:
- Cancer Multi-Omics Research and Target Identification: Utilizing clinical samples and large-scale omics data (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics) to focus on cancers such as lung and breast cancer. The aim is to systematically identify tumor vulnerabilities and resistance mechanisms, uncover potential therapeutic targets, and advance precision medicine.
- AI-Driven Data Analysis Platform Development: Creating bioinformatics tools for data integration, visualization, and molecular mechanism interpretation. This includes developing and optimizing foundational models and large language models (LLMs) to support precision cancer research and clinical applications.
- Functional Proteomics and Model System Integration: Investigating the role of protein functional changes in cancer development. This involves integrating omics data from patient tumor samples with various preclinical models (such as cell lines, organoids, and PDX) to advance translational research and mechanism validation.
Eligibility criteria:
- Have a solid publication record.
- Be proficient in handling large-scale omics data.
- Demonstrate a strong interest and academic passion for translational cancer research.
Application Procedure: