CPLC Postdoctoral Fellowships
Applicants are invited to fill several postdoctoral fellowships in experimental and theoretical biophysics at the newly established NSF "Center for the Physics of Living Cells" (CPLC) at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Fellowships are available for the coming academic year, starting in September 2010, and will normally be expected to last a minimum of two years.
Center mission
The mission of the Center is to catalyze new research directions to create a quantitative narrative for the simplest living systems, connecting the microscopic physical-chemical reactions in the cell to the system-level properties. Through major advances in single-molecule manipulation techniques, live cell imaging, and computational methods, we expect this combined endeavor to culminate in a truly quantitative physical picture for the fundamental processes at the core of cellular life. The Center is predominantly experimental in character, but is tightly coupled to a substantial and novel theoretical component to support the interpretation of experiment.
Job description
Research in the Center falls in one of four themes: (1) Maximizing information content of single molecule experiments; (2) Using synthetic nanostructures for high speed single molecule spectroscopy; (3) Observing individual events within single cells; and (4) Extending computation to biologically relevant timescales, and theory to greater biological realism. Fellows will be using state-of-the-art experimental and theoretical biophysical tools to accomplish these goals: optical tweezers, single-molecule fluorescence microscopy, fabrication of synthetic nanostructure, high-speed, low-noise electrical measurements, live cell imaging, microscopic and coarse-grained molecular simulations, stochastic modeling, as well as the standard methods of molecular and cellular biology and genetics. Research will involve both the development and improvement of experimental and computational techniques and the application of these techniques to particular biological processes such as replication, transcription, translation, cell transport and motility. As projects are collaborative endeavors between several labs, the fellows will be jointly advised by two or more faculty members of the Center. Fellows will also be expected to participate in education and outreach activities of the Center.
Qualifications
Candidates for this postdoctoral position must have a Ph.D. in the physical sciences, life science, or related disciplines, and must be highly qualified in one of the experimental or theoretical areas. Excellent oral- and written-communication skills are required for this position.
The University of Illinois is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, and welcomes applications from minority and women candidates.
How to apply
Applications are submitted electronically via https://my.physics.illinois.edu/join, and should arrive no later than October 31, 2009. (NOTE: Deadline extended to November 9, 2009) Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.
These applications should include, in PDF format:
(1) A cover letter
(2) A curriculum vitae
(3) A research statement, summarizing your past and ongoing research,
(4) A publications list, including papers and preprints with their URLs. For any papers or preprints that are not readily available via the internet,
applicants may wish to upload electronic copies via the "supporting document" channel.
In addition, applicants should provide contact information for three references from whom letters of recommendation can be requested. References should be prepared to submit their letters of recommendation no later than December 1, 2009. Letters can be submitted electronically (PDF preferred), or, if necessary, mailed to the following address:
CPLC Postdoctoral Fellowships Search
Department of Physics
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
1110 West Green Street, MC 704
Urbana, IL 61801-3080, USA
Questions can be directed to: director@cplc.illinois.edu