Postdoctoral Researcher in Translational Oncology (Dev Group, Early Cancer Institute)

We are recruiting a highly motivated Postdoctoral Researcher in Translational Oncology to join the Dev Group at the Early Cancer Institute, University of Cambridge. The postholder will work on a Prostate Cancer Research–funded initiative in partnership with the Sanger Institute and Imperial College, mapping the epigenetic evolution and early carcinogenesis of prostate cancer, and contributing to multi-omic tumour profiling, lineage tracing and liquid biopsy development.

The position is ideal for candidates with either:

• a computational background (bioinformatics, data science, computational biology) keen to work closely with experimental and clinical teams, or

• a hybrid profile combining wet-lab expertise (e.g. molecular biology, genomics, epigenetics) with strong computational skills and an interest in integrating multi-modal data.

You will analyse high-throughput epigenomic and genomic datasets from tissue and liquid biopsy samples, help develop scalable analysis pipelines, and/or support novel methylation and nanopore-based assays, depending on your skill set. You’ll join a vibrant, growing group at the forefront of early cancer and biomarker research, with close links to collaborators across Cambridge and industry partners.

• Salary: £33,966 – £57,696 (PDRA/SRA, dependent on experience)

• Contract: Fixed term, 2 years in the first instance

• Location: Early Cancer Institute, Cambridge Biomedical Campus

• Closing date: 28 February 2026

How to apply

Applications should be submitted here: University of Cambridge jobs site: “Post Doctoral Researcher in Translational Oncology – Department of Oncology”and applying through the online system.

If you have queries about the role, please contact:  dev.group@earlycancer.cam.ac.uk

Dev Group – Early Cancer Institute

We are based in the Early Cancer Institute on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus – the UK’s first institute dedicated entirely to early cancer research. The Cambridge Biomedical Campus brings together the University of Cambridge, research institutes and hospitals on a single site, allowing us to work closely with clinical and industry partners in day-to-day practice:

Early Cancer Institute

University of Cambridge

Our address:

Dev Group
Early Cancer Institute
Cambridge Biomedical Campus
Cambridge, CB2 0XZ

General enquiries: dev.group@earlycancer.cam.ac.uk

NHS practice – Cambridge University Hospitals

Dr Harveer Dev is a Urological Surgeon at Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, specialising in prostate cancer diagnostics and radical prostatectomy. 

For NHS appointments and clinical enquiries, please refer to the Urology Department at CUH (Clinic 4A, Outpatients).

We are not able to give individual medical advice, but we strongly recommend the following high-quality resources for people affected by prostate cancer and their families:

• The Infopool – an interactive, evidence-based information hub developed by Prostate Cancer Research, designed to support people affected by prostate cancer in understanding tests, treatments and living with the disease.

• Prostate Cancer UK– A leading prostate cancer charity, providing information, support services and a widely used online risk-checker.

• The Urology Foundation (TUF) – a UK charity dedicated to all urological diseases, funding research and training and offering patient information. 

• Cancer Research UK – Prostate cancer information – detailed information about risk, diagnosis, treatment and living with prostate cancer. 

• Predict Prostate – A NICE endorsed individualised prognostic model for men newly diasnosed with non-metatatic prostate cancer

Dr Dev serves on the executive/committee structures of several of these organisations, reflecting our commitment to patient-centred research and public engagement.

We receive many enquiries from students and researchers who are interested in our work. While we’re genuinely pleased to see this interest, there are some practical constraints on how people can join the group.

Internships & short-term placements

We receive far more internship enquiries than we can accommodate. Short-term, ad hoc placements are rarely possible, particularly for visitors from outside Cambridge. Occasionally we may advertise specific internship or studentship opportunities, which will be listed in the Current opportunities section. We are not able to host informal shadowing or voluntary placements in the lab, but summer placements are occasionally available through the Early Cancer Institute itself (email info@earlycancer.cam.ac.uk).

Master’s students & research projects

Opportunities for Master’s projects and other taught-course research placements are limited and highly competitive. Where possible, we prioritise:

• students already enrolled on relevant University of Cambridge courses, and

• projects that clearly align with ongoing work in the lab and can be properly supervised.

If you are a current Cambridge student, please discuss project options with your course director in the first instance.

PhD applicants

All PhD students must apply through the University of Cambridge central postgraduate admissions process – we cannot offer places or supervision informally outside this route.

If you are considering a PhD with us:

• Look at programmes such as the MPhil/PhD in Medical Science (Oncology) or related courses within the Department of Oncology and affiliated programmes.

• Full course details, application requirements and deadlines are available on the University’s postgraduate admissions website

If your application is successful and you list interests aligned with our work, we can then discuss potential projects and supervision in more detail.

Postdoctoral researchers

Postdoctoral researchers normally join the lab:

• via advertised positions linked to specific grants or programmes, or

• by bringing their own fellowship funding (e.g. clinical or non-clinical fellowships).

We are happy to hear from strong candidates with overlapping interests in early prostate cancer, epigenetics, liquid biopsies and DNA repair. However, we are rarely able to create posts outside formal recruitment or fellowship routes.