Seeking Postdoctoral Fellow in Asst. Prof. Natalie Dye’s Laboratory at the Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore

The Mechanobiology Institute (MBI), Singapore, is a multidisciplinary institute committed to developing new paradigms for biomedical research by focusing on the quantitative analysis of dynamic functional processes. Through quantitative biophysical approaches, we address major problems in biomedical sciences, including pathogenesis (from bacterial to cancer), tissue regeneration, and function.

The new research team of Asst. Prof. Natalie Dye seeks a highly motivated, talented young scientist to join their laboratory studying the biophysical mechanisms of epithelial tissue growth and morphogenesis as a postdoctoral fellow.

Job description & Project Scope

The successful candidate will work on a research project dedicated to understanding how animal cells collectively build 3D tissue architectures, either in vivo or ex vivo. The project involves using advanced light microscopy methods, quantitative bioimage analysis, and biophysical methods to probe the mechanisms that organize collective cell dynamics at the tissue scale. The successful candidate will work closely with our physics collaborators, who develop theoretical approaches to predict and test our hypotheses.

The team seeks either someone with considerable biological expertise and practical experience working with cells and tissues using quantitative methods who seeks more exposure to biophysical/ mechanobiology approaches, or someone with a more computational/physics background who is eager to apply their skills to analyzing biological data and working directly with experimental biologists.

The position offers the opportunity to shape a new project in a new team as the group just moved to the MBI in 2024. At the same time, the team is imbedded within the well-established MBI at NUS, which offers an open, interactive, and interdisciplinary research environment. In this environment, the successful candidate will have the possibility to hone project management skills and gain teaching/ mentoring/ leadership experience. Also, he/ she will be exposed to other world-class research on diverse topics through regular scientific seminars, and have access to excellent facilities.

Qualifications & Experiences

  • Candidates should hold undergraduate and PhD degrees (or be in the final stages of obtaining their PhD) in life sciences, biophysics, or a related field
  • Knowledge about and/or experience working with model systems such as Drosophila and/or mammalian cell culture (in particular, iPSCs and/or organoids), as well as performing modern microscopy experiments (e.g. confocal and light sheet) would be advantageous
  • Experience and interest in performing programmatic bioimage analysis (ideally Python) and/or bioinformatics is required
  • Candidate should be able to demonstrate excellent communication and presentation skills
  • Candidate should be comfortable working both independently and as part of a team, be highly motivated, and be willing to take initiative
  • Strong interest in working in an interdisciplinary environment at the interface of physics, medicine, and cell/developmental biology is a must

Salary and benefits are commensurable to educational qualifications and working experience of the candidates.

To apply

Interested candidates should prepare to submit:

  1. A cover letter describing their general research experience/interests and their motivation to apply to this position specifically
  2. CV, including a full publication list (ideally containing doi links)
  3. The names/contact info for 2-3 references

Apply online here: https://careers.nus.edu.sg/job/Research-Fellow-%28Mechanobiology-Institute%29/27663-en_GB/.
Applications will be evaluated upon submission on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Questions about the position can be directed to ndye@nus.edu.sg.