Postdoctoral Associate, Bioengineering

About the Role

The McHugh Lab in the Department of Bioengineering at Rice University seeks a postdoctoral associate to work in the area of immunology for novel vaccine development. This position is funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and focuses on a controlled-release vaccine delivery platform to create combination vaccines. The role involves co-leading an interdisciplinary project.

Key Responsibilities

• Evaluate vaccine stability and release in vitro.
• Plan and perform in vivo experiments to characterize immune response to multiple antigens.
• Direct the work of a research technician.
• Collaborate with a postdoc specializing in material development for the PULSED platform.
• Develop and evaluate in vitro antigen stability using ELISA.
• Design and help execute in vivo studies to evaluate controlled-release vaccine formulations.
• Collect, analyze, and interpret experimental data.
• Contribute to publishing research papers and presenting findings at national and international conferences.
• Support the mentoring and training of junior research team members.
• Assist with proposal development to obtain and sustain research funding.
• Support project management, progress reporting, and collaboration across disciplines.
• Perform all other duties as assigned.

Requirements & Tech Stack

• Ph.D. or other doctoral degree in immunology, biomedical engineering, bioengineering, vaccinology, biology, or related fields.
• Foundational training in humoral and cellular immune characterization assays.
• Familiarity with flow cytometry techniques.
• Familiarity with ELISA-based assays.
• Exposure to in vivo protocol development and execution, with willingness to complete required training.
• Strong written and oral communication skills, including experience preparing and/or contributing to manuscripts.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a research team.

Qualifications (Preferences)

• Prior experience working with animal models is strongly preferred.
• Experience or strong interest in mentoring early-career trainees (e.g., undergraduate or graduate students).
• Prior exposure to, or interest in, drug or vaccine delivery approaches (coursework or research experience).
• Demonstrated interest in translational research and applying scientific findings to real-world problems.

Additional Information

• This is a one-year term-limited position with the expectation of renewal based on satisfactory performance.
• Funding is secured through August 2027, with likely availability beyond that date.
• Position is available immediately, with a flexible start date.
• This position is exclusively on-site at Rice University.
• Salary will be set in accordance with NIH postdoctoral stipend guidelines and commensurate with experience.
• This position is funded by a grant, soft and/or restricted funds. Continued employment is contingent on the renewal of funding.
• Resume in PDF format is required in the Supporting Documents section.