Postdoctoral Associate - Bioengineering

Overview

All interested applicants should attach a resume in the Supporting Documents section of the application, preferably in a PDF format to avoid any formatting issues.

About Rice: Rice University is a 300-acre campus in Houston, Texas, ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio and a residential college system that supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures, courses and student government. Rice is widely regarded for quality of life and value among private universities and emphasizes a healthy campus community through its values of Responsibility, Integrity, Community and Excellence.

Position Summary: The McHugh Lab in the Departments of Bioengineering and Chemistry at Rice University (Houston, TX) seeks to hire a postdoctoral associate working in the area of chemistry to develop novel materials for controlled vaccine delivery. The lab develops translational drug delivery platforms with the potential to address conditions ranging from infectious disease prophylaxis to cancer therapies, using material properties and manufacturing techniques to engage the immune system.

The postdoctoral fellow selected for this position will co-lead an interdisciplinary project funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation that aims to employ a controlled-release vaccine delivery platform to create combination vaccines with otherwise incompatible vaccines. The responsibilities include synthesizing and characterizing biodegradable polymers, fabricating polymeric microdevices, and assessing the stability and release of encapsulated vaccines. The postdoc will direct the work of a research technician and collaborate with a postdoc specializing in immunology.

Due to its location at the boundary between Rice University and the Texas Medical Center, the lab has active collaborations with clinician-scientists at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston Methodist, and Texas Heart Institute to advance technologies toward the clinic.

• This position is a one-year term-limited appointment funded by a grant with the expectation of renewal beyond the initial period, based on satisfactory performance.
• Funding for this project is secured through August 2027; funds to support continued employment beyond that date are likely available.
• This position is available immediately; however, the start date is flexible and may be delayed based on applicant needs.
• This position will remain open until filled, with an expected posting end date of May 2026.

The ideal candidate will be a creative, highly motivated early-career scientist with training in chemistry, materials science, drug delivery and/or polymer science. The candidate should demonstrate strong written and oral communication skills and an interest in building a record of publications and conference presentations. As a senior member of the lab, the postdoc will spend a portion of time supporting and training junior lab members and assisting with proposal preparation.

They will receive mentorship from the PI, support for postdoctoral fellowship applications, and guidance on applying for faculty positions in academia if desired.

This position is exclusively on-site, requiring all duties to be performed in person at Rice University. Work arrangements may be subject to change in accordance with Rice policy 440.

Salary will be set in accordance with NIH postdoctoral stipend guidelines and commensurate with experience.

* Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.

This position is funded by a grant with potential continuation based on funding renewal.

• Ph.D. or other doctoral degree in chemistry, biomedical engineering, bioengineering, materials science, chemical engineering, or related fields
• No additional experience beyond graduate research is required

• Skills:

  • Foundational training in polymer synthesis and related analytical techniques
  • Experience in experimental design and data…