"Research Fellow"

Please submit your CV, a cover letter describing your research interests and fit for the position, and contact information for three references to contacthope@umich.edu. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We strongly encourage applications from diverse backgrounds. Join us in changing the way chronic pain is understood and treated!

Lead and conduct independent research in microtechnology, micro/nanofabrication, and mechanobiology, including experimental design, data analysis, and dissemination of results Design, fabricate, and optimize microfluidic, micropatterned, and biomaterial-based platforms for mechanobiology studies; maintain and oversee specialized fabrication workflows and instrumentation Mentor graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and technical staff in experimental design, fabrication techniques, and quantitative mechanobiology approaches Prepare manuscripts, grant proposals, and research reports; present findings at scientific meetings and seminars Participate in collaborative projects, laboratory management activities, and institutional service (committees, shared facility coordination, safety compliance)

Ph.D. degree in Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, or related Biomedical Sciences.

Demonstrated expertise, supported by a publication record, in the following areas:

• Microtechnology and fabrication: e.g., soft lithography, photolithography, micro/nanofabrication, microfluidic device design and fabrication, micropatterning, cleanroom processing
• Mechanobiology and cellular biomechanics: e.g., traction force microscopy, atomic force microscopy, mechanotransduction assays, substrate stiffness engineering, cell-matrix interaction studies
• Biomaterials and hydrogel engineering: e.g., tunable hydrogel synthesis, chemical functionalization, rheological characterization, mechanical testing of biomaterials
• Advanced microscopy and quantitative imaging: e.g., confocal/super-resolution microscopy, live-cell imaging, image-based morphodynamic analysis
• Molecular and cellular engineering approaches: e.g., CRISPR-based perturbations, reporter systems for mechanosensitive signaling pathways, engineered cell models

Minimum of three first-author primary research articles in international peer-reviewed journals Strong written and oral communication skills Demonstrated motivation to pursue innovative, high-impact research addressing fundamental and translational questions in mechanobiology Evidence of effective collaboration, interdisciplinary research engagement, and mentoring experience.