Postdoctoral Research Associate

Job Type

Full-time

As an independent research organization, the Morgridge Institute for Research explores uncharted scientific territory to discover tomorrow’s cures. In affiliation with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, we support researchers who take a fearless approach to advancing human health in emerging fields such as regenerative biology, metabolism, virology and medical engineering. Through public programming, we work to inspire scientific curiosity in everyday life.

As an independent research organization, the Morgridge Institute for Research explores uncharted scientific territory to discover tomorrow’s cures. In affiliation with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, we support researchers who take a fearless approach to advancing human health in emerging fields such as regenerative biology, metabolism, virology and medical engineering. Through public programming, we work to inspire scientific curiosity in everyday life.

This position will develop and apply advanced optical imaging methods for deep-tissue imaging, including coherent nonlinear optical holography. The postdoctoral research associate will design and construct optical instrumentation, develop data-acquisition and computational-reconstruction methods, conduct imaging experiments, and apply these technologies to biomedical research questions.

• Design, construct, and evaluate advanced optical imaging systems for coherent nonlinear microscopy and deep-tissue imaging.
• Plan and conduct experiments that characterize system performance and demonstrate biomedical imaging applications.
• Design, assemble, align, characterize, troubleshoot, and maintain optical imaging systems incorporating ultrafast lasers, nonlinear optical components, scanning or widefield illumination, detectors, and data-acquisition hardware.
• Design, assemble, align, characterize, troubleshoot, and maintain optical imaging systems incorporating ultrafast lasers, nonlinear optical components, scanning or widefield illumination, detectors, and data-acquisition hardware.
• Develop and maintain software for instrument control, data acquisition, image reconstruction, calibration, visualization, and quantitative analysis.
• Develop calibration procedures, performance benchmarks, quality-control methods, and reproducible experimental protocols for new imaging systems.
• Maintain organized experimental records, source code, instrument documentation, calibration data, and analysis workflows consistent with laboratory data-management practices.
• Analyze imaging and spectroscopy data using statistical, computational, and image-reconstruction methods; quantify system performance; evaluate uncertainty and reproducibility; and interpret results in collaboration with biomedical researchers.
• Contribute to the preparation of research manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
• Collaborate with biologists, biomedical scientists, and other investigators to define imaging requirements, prepare appropriate specimens, design validation experiments, and interpret biological findings.
• Provide technical guidance and research mentorship to graduate students, undergraduate researchers, interns, and other junior laboratory members, as assigned; this responsibility does not necessarily include formal personnel supervision.
• Attend scientific seminars, conferences, and journal clubs to stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in the field and contribute to scientific discussions.
• Lead and contribute to the preparation of peer-reviewed manuscripts, conference abstracts, presentations, technical reports, and other scholarly products.
• Present research findings at laboratory meetings and national and international scientific conferences.
• Contribute scientific results, figures, methods, and progress summaries to grant applications and reports to funding agencies.
• Perform other duties consistent with the position and research program, as assigned.

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each primary duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations will be considered and may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary responsibilities.

• A Ph.D. in physics, applied physics, optical science, chemistry, physical chemistry, electrical engineering, biomedical engineering,…