Postdoctoral Fellows

Brigham and Women's Hospital; Boston (MA); On-site; Full time

Job description

Site: The Brigham and Women's Hospital, Inc.

Mass General Brigham relies on a wide range of professionals, including doctors, nurses, business people, tech experts, researchers, and systems analysts to advance our mission. As a not-for-profit, we support patient care, research, teaching, and community service, striving to provide exceptional care. We believe that high-performing teams drive groundbreaking medical discoveries and invite all applicants to join us and experience what it means to be part of Mass General Brigham.

Job Summary

The BioTranslation Lab is strongly focused on translational research: we develop materials and delivery technologies that address unmet medical needs and improve patients' lives. Based at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and affiliated with the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, we work across chemistry, materials science, biology, engineering, and medicine to advance promising technologies from fundamental design and mechanistic investigation through in vivo validation and toward clinical application.

Our work is driven by a simple principle: rigorous science should ultimately create meaningful new possibilities for patients.

Scientific ownership - Lead an ambitious project and shape its direction from concept through publication.

A translational environment - Connect materials and delivery science with disease biology and clinically relevant questions.

Exceptional collaborations - Join a diverse, international team working across multiple projects and connect with scientific and clinical communities throughout Harvard, MIT, Mass General Brigham, and the Broad Institute.

Career development - Receive support for publications, conference presentations, independent fellowships, and the transition to your next career stage.

Qualifications

POSITION 1 | Chemistry & Materials Science for Long-Acting Therapeutics

Lead project design and execution, including the synthesis and characterization of novel materials and formulation strategies for long-acting injectable and implantable delivery systems. Potential applications include infectious-disease prevention and treatment, substance use disorder, hormonal therapy, and organ transplantation.

Core qualification

• Ph.D. or equivalent in chemistry, bioengineering, chemical engineering, materials science, polymer science, pharmaceutical sciences, or a related field.

Experience in one or more of the following would be valuable

• Polymer synthesis and characterization
• Controlled-release formulations or long-acting drug-delivery systems
• Release kinetics, degradation, mechanical or rheological characterization, and relationships to in vivo performance
• Scalable and manufacturable formulation or fabrication processes
• In vitro and in vivo pharmacokinetic evaluation

POSITION 2 | Non-Viral Delivery of Gene Therapies and Gene-Editing Tools

Lead the engineering and evaluation of lipid nanoparticles, polymeric carriers, and other non-viral systems for RNA therapeutics, gene therapies, and gene-editing tools such as CRISPR/Cas systems. Projects will address delivery efficiency, tissue and cell targeting, and safety in the brain, lung, and other difficult-to-reach tissues.

Core qualification

• Ph.D. or equivalent in bioengineering, chemical engineering, molecular biology, pharmaceutical sciences, or a related field.

Experience in one or more of the following would be valuable

• Non-viral delivery of nucleic acids, including mRNA, siRNA, or CRISPR/Cas components
• Nanoparticle formulation and physicochemical characterization
• Targeting, biodistribution, or pharmacokinetic studies
• In vitro and in vivo efficacy studies, including expression, knockdown, or editing readouts
• Adapting delivery technologies to new tissues and therapeutic targets

POSITION 3 | Immunology and Immunoengineering

Lead mechanistic studies defining the immunological dimensions of BTL's therapeutic platforms, including immunomodulation, neuroinflammation, and host responses to biomaterials and delivery systems. The goal is to use these insights to improve therapeutic safety and efficacy.

Core qualification

• Ph.D. or equivalent in immunology, microbiology, molecular or cellular biology, or a related field. Prior experience in materials science or drug delivery is welcome but not required.

Experience in one or more of the following would be valuable

• Immune responses to biomaterials, nanoparticles, or delivery platforms
• Experimental models of immunomodulation or neuroinflammation
• Flow cytometry, cytokine profiling, single-cell approaches, or related immunological assays
• Mechanistic studies that connect immune responses with therapeutic performance
• Close collaboration with materials- and delivery-focused scientists

We welcome candidates who have completed, or are nearing completion of, a Ph.D. or equivalent degree and who combine strong technical foundations with curiosity, creativity, and scientific rigor. Successful fellows take ownership of their work, bring initiative and an entrepreneurial mindset to project development, communicate clearly, and enjoy collaborating across disciplines. A strong publication record is valued, but we will consider accomplishments in the context of each candidate's opportunities, field, and career stage.

Fellows are expected to develop and execute rigorous studies, communicate findings through publications and scientific presentations, contribute positively to the lab community, and pursue opportunities for increasing scientific independence.

Additional Job Details (if applicable)

Please combine the following materials into a single PDF:

• Curriculum vitae, including a complete publication list
• Cover letter describing your research interests, relevant experience, career goals, and the position(s) for which you wish to be considered
• Names and contact information for three references

Remote Type

Onsite

Work Location

60 Fenwood Road

EEO Statement

2200 The Brigham and Women's Hospital, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, age, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, military service, genetic information, and/or other status protected under law. We will ensure that all individuals with a disability are provided a reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. To ensure reasonable accommodation for individuals protected by Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Vietnam Veteran's Readjustment Act of 1974, and Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, applicants who require accommodation in the job application process may contact Human Resources at (857)-282-7642.

At Mass General Brigham, our competency framework defines what effective leadership "looks like" by specifying which behaviors are most critical for successful performance at each job level. The framework is comprised of ten competencies (half People-Focused, half Performance-Focused) and are defined by observable and measurable skills and behaviors that contribute to workplace effectiveness and career success. These competencies are used to evaluate performance, make hiring decisions, identify development needs, mobilize employees across our system, and establish a strong talent pipeline.