Postdoctoral Researcher: Precision Medicine

The Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (TIBI) invites applications for a highly motivated and creative Postdoctoral Fellow to join Dr. Zhaohui Wang’s laboratory. This position is part of a CIRM-funded project and offers an exciting opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research in blastoid stem cell biology and precision medicine, advancing transformative solutions for human health and disease.

TIBI is at the forefront of personalized diagnostics and therapeutics, collaborating closely with clinicians, biotech, and pharmaceutical partners to accelerate the development of pioneering therapies and precision medicine technologies. In this role, you will work alongside experts in biology, engineering, data science, and medicine to design and develop high-throughput blastoid formation platforms integrated with ML/AI approaches for large-scale screening and analysis of human blastoids.

Beyond the blastoid project, the successful candidate will have opportunities to participate in a range of organoid-based and stem cell research programs, including cancer organoid modeling, drug screening, and regenerative medicine initiatives. We are seeking candidates who are deeply curious and passionate about stem cell or cancer biology, and who thrive on uncovering novel mechanistic insights that advance both basic science and translational applications. This position also provides opportunities to collaborate with leading academic and clinical institutions, enabling impactful research and translation to clinical practice.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Develop and optimize novel culture techniques for stem cells, organoids, and blastoids.

• Utilize stem cell and organoid models as patient avatars to uncover disease mechanisms and evaluate therapeutic responses.

• Collaborate with engineers and data scientists to integrate ML/AI tools for high-throughput and predictive analyses.

• Perform molecular, cellular, and imaging-based analyses of organoid cultures and contribute to the development of a patient avatar biobank.

• Present findings at internal meetings, seminars, and scientific conferences.

• Formulate hypotheses, design and conduct experiments, analyze data, write manuscripts for publication.

• Contribute ideas to grant proposals and fellowship applications (NIH, NSF, DoD, CIRM).

• Mentor and support trainees, research associates, and visiting scholars.

• Engage in collaborative, cross-disciplinary research across multiple organoid and stem cell programs at TIBI.

QUALIFICATIONS (KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND EXPERIENCE):

• Ph.D. in Biology, Biomedical Engineering, or a related field (expertise in stem cell biology, developmental biology, or cancer biology preferred).

• Ph.D. earned within the past two years.

• Experience with microfabrication, biomaterials, or microfluidics is a plus.

• Demonstrated ability to conduct independent, high-quality mechanistic research. 

• Strong curiosity, critical thinking, and a passion for scientific discovery.

• Excellent organizational, communication, and teamwork skills.

• Adaptable, open to feedback, and driven by a strong work ethic.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

· Repetitive movement of hands and fingers-typing and/or writing

· Have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as: viewing a computer terminal, extensive reading

· Occasional standing and walking

Join our interdisciplinary environment to accelerate scientific and technical advancements and contribute to groundbreaking research in electromedicine. Your exceptional communication skills, hands-on expertise, and collaborative spirit will play a pivotal role in expanding the horizons.

The duties and responsibilities described are not a comprehensive list and that additional tasks may be assigned to the employee from time to time; or the scope of the job may change as necessitated by business demands.

TIBI is committed to promoting diversity and equal employment opportunities. We champion affirmative action to provide fair opportunities for underrepresented minorities, women, individuals with disabilities, and covered veterans. All qualified applicants will receive consideration regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status.

Research institute focused on biomedical innovation and precision medicine