Postdoctoral Research Associates, Bartesaghi Lab

The Bartesaghi Lab ((Use the "Apply for this Job" box below).) invites applications for two postdoctoral associate positions to develop computational methods and data analysis pipelines at the intersection of machine learning and cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), cryo-electron tomography (cryo-ET), and sub-tomogram averaging, to address fundamental questions in the life sciences.

Postdocs will join a collaborative, multidisciplinary team spanning Duke University (Computer Science; Electrical and Computer Engineering; Biochemistry; Neurobiology; and Cell Biology) and partner institutions, including the Van Andel Institute, Emory University, and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS).

The Bartesaghi Lab has dedicated access to state-of-the-art research infrastructure, including cryo-EM and cryo-ET capabilities through the Pratt School of Engineering Shared Materials and Instrumentation Facility (SMIF), as well as high-performance CPU and GPU computing through Duke Research Computing.

Successful candidates will work at the interface of machine learning and experimental biology. Responsibilities include developing methods that embed domain knowledge into machine-learning models and applying these approaches to structural biology and disease-related questions, with particular emphasis on Parkinson’s disease. A central goal is scalable analysis of large datasets from dynamic complexes acquired with modern, high-throughput cryo-EM and in-situ cellular tomography workflows.

Ideal candidates should hold a PhD in Computer Science, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Biochemistry, Cell Biology, or a closely related area. Candidates must have at least one first-author or substantial-contribution publication in a leading venue in applied machine learning and/or structural biology and have strong recommendation letters from established researchers in the field.

The Final date to receive applications is July 15th, 2026, but applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis as received. Positions are for 2-4 years depending on the candidate’s interests and experience. Start dates are flexible, aligned with PhD completion.

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