Job Description and Responsibilities:
The Department of Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering in the College of Engineering, and the Philips Institute for Oral Health Research at the School of Dentistry at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), have a joint postdoctoral position available immediately. The successful candidate will have a unique opportunity to develop and expand upon a diversified technical skill set while making a positive contribution to the areas of biomaterials, biomechanics, and biofilms.
Research projects for this candidate will involve the development of functional materials for medical applications, including but not limited to systematic materials characterization, surface charge measurements, and quantification of interactions (biomechanics) on biointerface. The candidate will also be involved in the oral biofilm-related projects. The candidate expects to use both the experimental and modeling approaches in these projects. In addition, the candidate will be required to summarize the research results, write journal articles, and help with proposal writing.
The ideal candidate shall have a strong educational background in materials science and mechanical engineering, with a good skill set in biological analysis. Preference will be given to candidates who have experience in performing functional materials synthesis and characterization, biofilm growth and analysis, as well as the experience in the journal publication. In this position, the successful candidate will also have the opportunity to work and collaborate with a vast network of scientists and engineers.
Required Qualifications:
- Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Materials Science, Microbiology, or similar fields
- Experience in biomaterials synthesis and characterization, surface interaction modeling
- Experience in mechanical force measurements of biological cells by atomic force microscopy (AFM)
- Experience in biofilm detection, quantification, and analysis
- Ability to mentor junior team members, and ensure the highest levels of laboratory safety
- Excellent communication skills
- Demonstrated ability to work in multi-disciplinary teams
- Ability to work under tight deadlines and short turnaround times
Preferred Qualifications:
The candidate is able to independently set up experimental systems and numerical models to evaluate the performance of biomaterials for medical applications. The candidate has demonstrated the experiences described in the job description and a strong record of papers published in SCI journals.
Special Instructions:
Candidates for consideration must send a cover letter of interest, CV, and list of three professional references to include emails and phone numbers in a single PDF file. Applications must be completely filled out and will be reviewed upon receipt and accepted until the position is filled. Employment will require the successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.
Organization:
Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) is a public research university located in Richmond, Virginia (98 miles south of Washington, D.C.). VCU is classified as a Tier 1 research university by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. The College of Engineering has outstanding state-of-the-art instructional and research facilities. VCU is committed to affirmative action, equal opportunity and the diversity of its workforce.
Contact Information:
For more information about the position, please contact Prof. Weining Wang, email: wnwang@vcu.edu. Applicants are also encouraged to check the detailed information in the following site: https://wnwang.wordpress.com/