Research Fellow - Vascularized Organoids & Microphysiological Systems

About the role

The Pavesi Lab at the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine), Nanyang Technological University, develops human microphysiological systems and vascularized organoid platforms to model solid-tumour biology. This Research Fellowship supports a project to develop and validate a colon cancer model: a kit-ready vascularized patient-derived organoid platform enabling intravascular dosing, real-time imaging and downstream tissue retrieval for flow cytometry and single-cell/spatial profiling. The fellow leads day-to-day execution of the platform development project.

Key responsibilities

• Establish, maintain and quality-control patient-derived colorectal cancer organoids, including expansion, organoid formation and experimental scheduling.
• Set up and optimize vascularized organoid cultures.
• Execute intravascular dosing assays (e.g. 5-FU and rational combinations), including design, controls, replicates and documentation.
• Perform and/or coordinate readouts such as live/dead imaging, confocal microscopy quantification and sample retrieval for downstream analyses.
• Conduct tissue dissociation and immune/phenotypic profiling workflows (flow cytometry, immunofluorescence, biomarker assays).
• Coordinate external core services for single-cell RNA-seq and spatial profiling, including sample preparation, submission and data organization.
• Handle first-pass data and interpret results with lab bioinformatics support, producing QC tracking, summary plots and clear conclusions.
• Manage project operations: consumable procurement, inventory, collaboration with partners and monthly progress reporting to the PI.
• Contribute figures, reports, conference abstracts, manuscripts and patent-supporting documentation.

Required profile

• PhD in Bioengineering, Biomedical Engineering, Cell/Molecular Biology, Biotechnology, Immunology, Cancer Biology or a closely related discipline.
• Demonstrated hands-on experience with 3D culture systems, preferably patient-derived organoids/tumoroids and/or primary cell co-cultures.
• Strong organizational skills, meticulous record-keeping and ability to work independently within project timelines.
• Good written and oral communication skills for reporting, SOP documentation and manuscript contributions.

Required skills

• Experience with microfluidics or organ-on-chip systems, perfusable vascular co-culture models, ECM hydrogels (collagen/fibrin), confocal microscopy, image quantification and flow cytometry.
• Familiarity with single-cell workflow sample preparation; basic literacy in interpreting scRNA-seq outputs is an advantage.