Career Center

The UNC Institute for Convergent Science (ICS) is pleased to announce the launch of the Innovation Postdoctoral Fellowship Program in which fellows will work with teams of researchers and innovators to transition their research to applied goals. ICS Innovation Fellows will bridge the scientific/technical elements of an ICS project with team science and commercialization support activities. 

This ICS Innovation Fellowship position will focus on understanding and developing potential adeno-associated virus-based gene therapy approaches for the treatment of a rare form of ocular tumors known as uveal melanoma. The fellow will be co-advised by the PIs Jacquelyn Bower and Matthew Hirsch in the Department of Ophthalmology, Carolina Eye Research Institute, Lineberger Cancer Center, and Gene Therapy Center. 

The Innovation Postdoctoral Fellow will devote ~70% effort to the scientific and technical elements of the project and ~30% to entrepreneurial elements, including market research, patent landscaping, and other entrepreneurship training. This fellowship offers unique training in translational science while also developing commercialization skills. Fellows are also encouraged to participate in existing experiential training programs including UNC Venture Catalyst Program and I-Corps program. Fellows will have access to UNC CareerWell courses (including Market Research, Team Collaboration, Technology Commercialization Fundamentals, Applied Project Management) offered by The Graduate School. The fellow will be invited to participate in KickStart events and workshops.

The Bower and Hirsch labs study ocular applications for AAV-based therapeutics. The Bower lab focuses on identifying ocular disease pathways that can be genetically targeted and are suitable for a gene therapy-based approach. The Hirsch lab focuses on the development of AAV-based vectors for ocular gene therapy applications. Together, the labs aim to discover novel mechanisms that can be therapeutically exploited for the treatment of ocular disease. The PIs, an advisory team, and the fellow will establish a translational therapeutics discovery program to target unmet needs in ophthalmological oncology.

Prior experience on a high-performing research team.