Postdoctoral Scholar, Nanoscale optical microscopy – Rare earth elements, Department of Physics
The Department of Physics at ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ School of Arts and Sciences seeks one postdoctoral researcher to conduct research in the laboratory of Prof. Lydia Kisley starting as soon as the candidate is available. The ideal candidate will work at the interface of biophysics, physical/analytical chemistry, and chemical engineering to image liquid separation and adsorption of rare earth elements. Overall, the Kisley lab studies materials using single-molecule microscopy with the goal to advance the single-molecule materials field towards more complex, realistic conditions. More information on the broad focus of the lab can be found at
The candidate will primarily be responsible for working on a project funded by the Department of Energy to develop and maintain a new fluorescence and super-resolution microscopy method in the lab. The microscopy will then be applied to understand adsorption of rare earth elements within porous materials and at polymer membrane interfaces modified with bioligands. It is required that the candidate will have extensive experience in optical microscopy and/or spectroscopy. Capabilities in image processing in MATLAB, Python, or other C-based programming languages are strongly preferred. It is also ideal if the candidate has experience in biomolecule or interface characterization and spectroscopies.
The candidate will be responsible for working in an interdisciplinary environment with other postdoctoral researchers, staff, graduate, and undergraduate students in the lab and participate in maintaining a strong lab culture within the research group. Regular responsibilities will be generating data and text for progress reports, manuscripts, and grants, participating in weekly meetings, and assisting with training and mentoring of lab members. In addition, the lab will provide career development opportunities for the candidate such as funds for annual national conference travel and support in developing pedagogical skills and grantsmanship, dependent on the candidate’s future career interests. More details about the lab culture and mentoring approach can be found at:
Support for this position is available for 3 years. The salary will be at or above NIH NRSA Stipend Levels, conditional on annual reviews. There is the potential for the position to be extended dependent on funding levels. There is also longer-term potential for promotion to a staff research associate or research assistant professor position dependent on exceptional performance and the candidate’s skills and interest in independent grant writing. The candidate will also be expected to pursue postdoctoral fellowships after the first year, but continuation of support will not be contingent on receiving independent funding. Sponsorship for a visa is available, if required.
The Department of Physics at ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½ is part of a strong community of biophysics and nanoscale research in the Cleveland area. This position includes collaborations with ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½â€™s Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, along with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Further possibilities to collaborate and network with ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½â€™s Department of Chemistry, School of Medicine, Engineering departments, Cleveland Clinic, University Hospitals, among others, exist in this position.
The Kisley Research Group believes that the best research results from working with a diverse team. We foster a sense of community in our group where everyone should feel welcome, respected, and safe. We strongly encourage applications from female and minority candidates, along with those who have taken efforts to improve diversity in STEM. More information on our philosophy can be found at: kisleylab.science/diversity-outreach
The applicant must have a Ph.D. degree in Physical or Analytical Chemistry, Biophysics, Experimental Condensed Matter Physics, Chemical Engineering, or a similar field. Interested individuals should send a cover letter, CV, a representative publication in PDF form, and the contact information of three people who could provide recommendations to Lydia.Kisley@case.edu