Pre-doctoral position in Smart-Microscopy

France-BioImaging; Montpellier; On-site; EUR 25,000 - 35,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading research institute is seeking a pre-doctoral fellow to contribute to innovative microscopy architectures in a challenging interdisciplinary environment. This role involves design and implementation in optics, signal processing, and AI-driven image reconstruction. Candidates must be enrolled in a Master's degree in Physics or Engineering, possess strong programming skills (preferably in Python), and have a good command of English. The position is for 12 months, with a strong possibility of PhD continuation based on performance.

Qualifications

• Enrolled in a Master’s degree in Physics, Engineering or related disciplines.
• Programming skills (preferably Python).
• Good command of spoken and written English.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to the conceptual design and experimental implementation of innovative microscopy architectures.
• Work on both instrumentation and computational strategies.
• Engage with scientific literature to identify emerging directions.

Skills

Programming skills (preferably Python)

Good command of spoken and written English

Interest in optics, photonics, or scientific instrumentation

Education

Master’s degree in Physics, Engineering or related disciplines

Job description

Overview

Organization: Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia

Location: Via Enrico Melen, 83, Genoa, Metropolitan City of Genoa, Italy

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Position Information

At Instituto Italiano di Tecnologia, we are committed to advancing human-centred Science and Technology to address the most urgent societal challenges of our era. We foster excellence in both fundamental and applied research, spanning fields such as neuroscience and cognition, humanoid technologies and robotics, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, and material sciences, offering a truly interdisciplinary scientific experience.

Our approach integrates cutting-edge tools and technology, empowering researchers to push the limits of knowledge and innovation. With us, your curiosity will know no bounds. We provide equal employment opportunities and foster diversity in all its forms, creating an inclusive environment. We value the unique experiences, knowledge, backgrounds, cultures, and perspectives of our people. By embracing diversity, we believe science can achieve its fullest potential.

Missions

You will join the Molecular Microscopy and Spectroscopy Research Unit, coordinated by Dr Giuseppe Vicidomini, an internationally recognised laboratory pioneering advanced fluorescence microscopy, from super-resolution imaging to time-resolved spectroscopy and computational imaging. The team brings together physicists, engineers, computer scientists, and biologists at the interface of photonics, instrumentation, and quantitative life sciences.

Our research vision is to move beyond conventional microscopy and develop smart, adaptive imaging systems capable of extracting maximal information from biological samples in real time. We design and build next-generation microscopy platforms that tightly integrate advanced optical hardware, single-photon detector technologies, high-speed electronics, computational imaging, and artificial intelligence. In these systems, data acquisition is no longer passive: algorithms guide the microscope, detectors operate at their physical limits, and information is reconstructed through principled inverse models and learning-based approaches.

As a pre-doctoral fellow, you will actively contribute to the conceptual design and experimental implementation of innovative microscopy architectures. You will work on both instrumentation and computational strategies, gaining hands-on experience in optical system integration, detector technologies, signal processing, and AI-driven image reconstruction. You will engage with the scientific literature to identify emerging directions in smart microscopy, acquire the optical and instrumental expertise required for system alignment and optimization, and explore advanced computational methods for data reconstruction, quantitative analysis, and visualisation.

The specific research focus will be defined together with you, based on your background and interests, allowing you to develop scientific ownership from an early stage.

This fellowship is conceived as a gateway to a PhD trajectory, offering the possibility of continuation into a doctoral program upon mutual agreement and demonstrated performance.

Profile

Essential Requirements

• Enrolled in a Master’s degree in Physics, Engineering or related disciplines.
• Programming skills (preferably Python).
• Good command of spoken and written English.

Additional Skills

• Interest in optics, photonics, or scientific instrumentation
• Spirit of innovation and creativity.
• Good time and priority management.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a highly interdisciplinary environment.

General information

Commitment & contract: collaboration contract, 12 months

Please submit your application using the online form here and including a detailed CV, a cover letter outlining motivation, experience, and qualifications, and names and contacts of 2 referees.

Application’s deadline: 15 April 2026.

If you have any question, please contact Giuseppe VICIDOMINI at [e-mail]

To discover more about life at IIT, visit the dedicated section here: https://www.iit.it/en/work-at-iit