Postdoctoral Associate - Bioengineering

Job Description

Boasting a 300‑acre tree‑lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6‑to‑1 undergraduate student‑to‑faculty ratio and a residential college system that supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lecture series, courses and student government. The university is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

The McHugh Lab in the Departments of Bioengineering and Chemistry at Rice University seeks a postdoctoral associate to develop novel materials for controlled vaccine delivery. The candidate will co‑lead an interdisciplinary project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that aims to use a controlled‑release vaccine delivery platform to create combination vaccines with otherwise incompatible vaccines. The focus is on encapsulating a next‑generation polio vaccine inside particles fabricated using the Particles Uniformly Liquified and Sealed to Encapsulate Drug (PULSED) platform to offset the timing of release from a co‑delivered soluble vaccine and prevent immunological interference.

The postdoctoral fellow will: synthesize and characterize biodegradable polymers; fabricate polymeric microdevices; assess the stability and release of encapsulated vaccines; direct the work of a research technician; and collaborate with a postdoc specializing in immunology.

• One‑year term‑limited position with expectation of renewal beyond the initial appointment period with satisfactory performance.
• Funding secured through August 2027; further funding likely available thereafter.
• Position available immediately; start date flexible.
• Position will remain open until filled; expected posting end date May 2026.

The ideal candidate is a creative, highly motivated early‑career scientist with training in chemistry, materials science, drug delivery, and/or polymer science. Strong written and oral communication skills, an interest in building a record of publications and conference presentations, and the ability to support and train junior lab members are essential. The postdoc will receive mentorship, support for fellowship and faculty applications, and guidance on career development.

This position is exclusively on‑site; all duties must be performed in person at Rice University. Work arrangements may be subject to change per Rice policy 440.

Salary will be set in accordance with NIH postdoctoral stipend guidelines and commensurate with experience. Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.

• Ph.D. or other doctoral degree in chemistry, biomedical engineering, bioengineering, materials science, chemical engineering, or related fields.
• No additional experience beyond graduate research required.
• Skills:
  
  foundational training in polymer synthesis and related analytical techniques; experience in experimental design and data analysis; experience conducting literature reviews and synthesizing prior work into testable hypotheses or experimental plans; strong written and oral communication skills, including experience preparing and submitting manuscripts; ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a research team.

• Experience mentoring early‑career trainees.
• Familiarity with micro‑/nanofabrication and/or 3D printing techniques.
• Experience working with animal models in a research setting.
• Demonstrated interest in translational research and applying lab findings toward real‑world impact.

• Engineer delivery technologies by manipulating polymer properties and/or microstructure.
• Design and perform experiments; collect, analyze, and interpret data.
• Contribute to publishing research papers and presenting findings at national and international conferences.
• Mentor junior research team members, including graduate and undergraduate students.
• Assist with proposal development to obtain and sustain research funding.
• Support project…