Research Associate

About the Role

Dr. Longwei Liu’s laboratory at the University of Southern California (USC) is seeking a Postdoctoral Scholar – Research Associate. This position is jointly supported by the Department of Ophthalmology at the Keck School of Medicine and the Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering at the Viterbi School of Engineering. The laboratory focuses on developing innovative therapeutic and diagnostic technologies by bridging engineering and medicine. In this NIH-supported role, the scholar will develop programmable biological systems to investigate cellular signaling and advance therapies for degenerative diseases and cancer. The position offers opportunities to lead an independent project, collaborate across engineering and medicine, mentor trainees, and develop manuscripts and fellowship applications. This is an on-site position at the USC Health Science Campus in Los Angeles, CA.

Key Responsibilities

• Design, execute, and interpret mechanistic and translational studies.
• Establish experimental priorities and troubleshoot independently.
• Develop and characterize molecular constructs, engineered cells, biosensors, or therapeutic proteins.
• Evaluate candidate systems in relevant cell-based assays and preclinical animal models.
• Analyze and document results, maintain accurate research records, and apply appropriate controls and reproducible workflows.
• Prepare manuscripts, present findings at laboratory meetings and scientific conferences.
• Contribute to grant and fellowship applications.
• Mentor students and research staff.
• Collaborate with colleagues and help maintain an organized and productive laboratory environment.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• Ph.D. degree in bioengineering, molecular or cell biology, immunology, neuroscience, biomedical engineering, or a closely related field by the start date.
• At least one first-author publication demonstrating expertise relevant to the research areas.
• Demonstrated expertise in at least one of the following areas: synthetic biology; genetic engineering; ocular biology or vision science; or cellular and molecular engineering.
• Experience in one or more of the following: synthetic biology, genetic circuit design, genome editing, protein engineering, or cell and gene therapy.
• Proficiency in molecular cloning, mammalian cell culture, viral gene delivery, flow cytometry, or fluorescence imaging.
• Experience with retinal biology, ocular disease models, immune-cell engineering, or preclinical evaluation of therapeutic technologies.
• Strong quantitative skills in biological data analysis, image analysis, or computational modeling.
• Ability to design controlled experiments, critically analyze data, troubleshoot research problems, and work independently and collaboratively.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, strong organizational skills, and a commitment to research integrity.
• Demonstrated ability to lead research projects and collaborate across disciplines.
• Motivated, proactive, resourceful, and detail-oriented with strong scientific curiosity and a commitment to rigorous, reproducible research.

Qualifications

• Ph.D. degree by the start date.
• At least one first-author publication.
• Expertise in synthetic biology, genetic engineering, ocular biology or vision science, or cellular and molecular engineering.

Annual budgeted salary range: $70,304 - $72,384.