Postdoctoral Research Associate – Bartels Lab

Morgridge Institute for Research; Bowens Addition (WI); On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Morgridge Institute for Research seeks a postdoctoral research associate to develop advanced optical imaging methods for deep-tissue imaging and coherent nonlinear optical holography. You will design instrumentation, implement data acquisition and reconstruction, and apply methods to biomedical questions.

Collaborate with biologists and biomedical researchers, mentor students, contribute to manuscripts, and present findings at conferences.

Qualifications

• PhD in physics, optical science, or closely related field.
• Hands-on experience with ultrafast lasers, nonlinear optics, optical microscopy, spectroscopy.
• Experience designing, aligning, and troubleshooting optical systems.
• Proficiency in scientific programming and quantitative data analysis.
• Evidence of research productivity appropriate to career stage.

Responsibilities

• Design, construct, and evaluate advanced optical imaging systems for nonlinear microscopy and deep-tissue imaging.
• Plan and conduct experiments to characterize system performance and demonstrate biomedical imaging applications.
• Develop software for instrument control, data acquisition, image reconstruction, and analysis.
• Maintain organized records and documentation of calibration data and workflows.
• Collaborate with biologists and biomedical researchers to define imaging requirements.
• Contribute to preparation of manuscripts, conference abstracts, and reports.

Skills

Scientific programming

Ultrafast lasers

Nonlinear optics

Optical microscopy

Holography

Optical spectroscopy

Education

PhD in physics / optical science / related field

Tools

Python

MATLAB

C/C++

LabVIEW

Job description

As an independent research organization, the Morgridge Institute for Research explores uncharted scientific territory to discover tomorrow’s cures. In affiliation with the University of Wisconsin-Madison, we support researchers who take a fearless approach to advancing human health in emerging fields such as virology, advanced multi-scale fluorescence and electron microscopy, metabolism and regenerative biology. Through public programming, we work to inspire scientific curiosity in everyday life.

The Opportunity:

This position will develop and apply advanced optical imaging methods for deep-tissue imaging, including coherent nonlinear optical holography. The postdoctoral research associate will design and construct optical instrumentation, develop data-acquisition and computational-reconstruction methods, conduct imaging experiments, and apply these technologies to biomedical research questions.

Key Responsibilities:

• Design, construct, and evaluate advanced optical imaging systems for coherent nonlinear microscopy and deep-tissue imaging.
• Plan and conduct experiments that characterize system performance and demonstrate biomedical imaging applications.
• Design, assemble, align, characterize, troubleshoot, and maintain optical imaging systems incorporating ultrafast lasers, nonlinear optical components, scanning or widefield illumination, detectors, and data-acquisition hardware.
• Design, assemble, align, characterize, troubleshoot, and maintain optical imaging systems incorporating ultrafast lasers, nonlinear optical components, scanning or widefield illumination, detectors, and data-acquisition hardware.
• Develop and maintain software for instrument control, data acquisition, image reconstruction, calibration, visualization, and quantitative analysis.
• Develop calibration procedures, performance benchmarks, quality-control methods, and reproducible experimental protocols for new imaging systems.
• Maintain organized experimental records, source code, instrument documentation, calibration data, and analysis workflows consistent with laboratory data-management practices.
• Analyze imaging and spectroscopy data using statistical, computational, and image-reconstruction methods; quantify system performance; evaluate uncertainty and reproducibility; and interpret results in collaboration with biomedical researchers.
• Contribute to the preparation of research manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
• Collaborate with biologists, biomedical scientists, and other investigators to define imaging requirements, prepare appropriate specimens, design validation experiments, and interpret biological findings.
• Provide technical guidance and research mentorship to graduate students, undergraduate researchers, interns, and other junior laboratory members, as assigned; this responsibility does not necessarily include formal personnel supervision.
• Attend scientific seminars, conferences, and journal clubs to stay up-to-date with the latest advancements in the field and contribute to scientific discussions.
• Lead and contribute to the preparation of peer-reviewed manuscripts, conference abstracts, presentations, technical reports, and other scholarly products.
• Present research findings at laboratory meetings and national and international scientific conferences.
• Contribute scientific results, figures, methods, and progress summaries to grant applications and reports to funding agencies.
• Perform other duties consistent with the position and research program, as assigned.

Requirements:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each primary duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations will be considered and may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary responsibilities.

Required Education and Experience:

• A Ph.D. in physics, applied physics, optical science, chemistry, physical chemistry, electrical engineering, biomedical engineering, mechanical engineering, or a closely related field.
• Hands-on experience with ultrafast lasers, nonlinear optics, optical microscopy, spectroscopy, or closely related instrumentation.
• Experience designing, aligning, characterizing, and troubleshooting experimental optical systems.
• Proficiency in scientific programming and quantitative data analysis using tools such as Python, MATLAB, C/C++, LabVIEW, or comparable environments.
• Evidence of research productivity appropriate to career stage.
• Strong hands-on laboratory experience with one or more of the following: ultrafast laser systems, nonlinear optics, optical microscopy, holography, or optical spectroscopy.

Preferred Education and Experience:

• Experience with coherent nonlinear optical microscopy or holography.
• Experience with widefield nonlinear imaging, nonlinear holographic imaging, or computational microscopy.
• Experience with Raman or coherent Raman spectroscopy.
• Experience with image reconstruction, inverse problems, phase retrieval, holographic reconstruction, or computational imaging.
• Experience developing instrument-control or data-acquisition software.
• Experience imaging cells, tissues, or other biological specimens.
• Experience mentoring junior researchers.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required:

• Proficiency in advanced data analysis methods, including relevant software and programming languages.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, for preparing manuscripts, presentations, and reports.
• Ability to work collaboratively within interdisciplinary teams and effectively communicate complex scientific concepts.
• Evidence of research productivity appropriate to the applicant’s career stage, such as peer-reviewed publications, preprints, conference presentations, open-source software, instrumentation, datasets, or other significant research contributions.
• Demonstrated ability to identify technical problems, develop and evaluate solutions, manage research priorities, and advance projects with an appropriate level of independence.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to manage multiple tasks concurrently.

Working Conditions and Physical Effort:

• Work is primarily performed in laboratory and office environments.
• The position involves extended periods of work at optical tables, laboratory benches, and computer workstations. Responsibilities may include aligning optical components, manipulating laboratory equipment, preparing specimens for imaging, operating data-acquisition systems, and writing software and scientific documents. The employee must be able to perform these activities with or without reasonable accommodation.
• The position involves work with high-power and ultrafast laser systems, optical-cleaning solvents, laboratory reagents, and biological specimens. The employee must complete all required laser-safety, chemical-safety, biosafety, and laboratory training and follow applicable engineering controls, standard operating procedures, and personal protective equipment requirements.