Career Center

The Optical Imaging and Brain Science group at the University of Minnesota has an open postdoctoral associate position to advance groundbreaking electro-optical deflection technology for use in multiphoton microscopy and beyond. Our laboratory (www.kerlinlab.org) develops optical instrumentation, with a focus on technologies that will transform brain research. Our projects involve multidisciplinary teams with appointments in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, and Department of Neuroscience.

The successful candidate will lead a project to develop novel methods for controlling space-charge density in crystals with extraordinarily high electro-optical coefficients. We have recently received substantial funds from the National Institutes of Health to pursue this research direction.

Highly qualified candidates will have a background in photonics with laboratory experience investigating light-matter interactions or designing optical devices. Our work utilizes a wide array of cutting-edge equipment, including various continuous and mode-locked lasers, electro-optical deflectors, multiphoton microscopes, photomultipliers, interferometers, wavefront sensors, thermal imagers, as well as state-of the-art nanofabrication facilities at the neighboring Minnesota Nano Center: https://cse.umn.edu/mnc. Design and experimentation is driven by simulations in Matlab, Zemax OpticStudio, and COMSOL multiphysics. 

This position is open immediately and hiring at a starting salary between $70,000 and $80,000 per year. This is a unique opportunity to conduct basic research in electro-optics with direct impact on medical discovery.  We are located in the East Bank Campus of the University of Minnesota within the vibrant city of Minneapolis, which is home to over 550 square kilometers of lakes and parks, two internationally acclaimed orchestras, a robust local music scene, and almost as many theater seats as New York City.

Responsibilities

• Design and conduct experiments exploring the limits of electro-optical deflection
• Design and construct novel electro-optical instrumentation and microscopes
• Safely operate high-energy pulsed lasers
• Publish papers and present findings at conferences 
• Mentor and train junior research team members
• Assist with funding proposals and technology commercialization

• Ph.D. degree in Physics, Engineering, Optics, Chemistry, or related field in the physical sciences. 
• Strong hands-on experimental background and technical problem-solving skills
• Strong written and oral communication skills

About University of Minnesota, Twin Cities

The University of Minnesota, founded in the belief that all people are enriched by understanding, is dedicated to the advancement of learning and the search for truth; to the sharing of this knowledge through education for a diverse community; and to the application of this knowledge to benefit the people of the state, the nation, and the world.

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