Postdoctoral Associate - Chemistry

Special Instructions to Applicants

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

About Rice:
Boasting a 300-acre, tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is 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, which supports students intellectually, emotionally, and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lecture series, courses, and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff, and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice’s culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name — RICE — Responsibility, Integrity, Community, and Excellence.

Position Summary

The group of Dr. Han Xiao at Rice University is looking for Postdoctoral Research Associates to join a collaborative translational research initiative. This position will focus on advancing a next-generation Lymphatic Imaging Project.

The successful candidate will play a leading role in driving this translational research by developing specialized imaging tools, overseeing complex data analysis, and spearheading the regulatory steps necessary for conducting human clinical studies.

Rice University is one of the top private research universities in the United States, ranked 17th in the 2026 U.S. News & World Report for national research universities. Located in Houston, the fourth largest city in the U.S., the laboratory is adjacent to the world’s largest biomedical center, including MD Anderson Cancer Center and Baylor College of Medicine among over a dozen top biomedical research institutions. Rice University has made significant contributions in the fields of materials science, nanoscience, and artificial heart research.

Workplace Requirements:

This is a full-time in-person position at Rice University in Houston, Texas. Weekends and evenings are not required, though the candidate may work at these times at their discretion.

Travel outside of Rice University is not required for the position, though the successful candidate will be encouraged to attend at least one relevant scientific conference during their tenure in order to further their professional development.

Finally, this position is funded through grant, soft, and/or restricted funds with an anticipated end date of one year. Continued employment is contingent upon continued funding.

Hiring Range: $48,000-$65,000, commensurate with education & experience 

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

Required Qualifications

• Doctoral degree in chemistry, biochemistry, biomedical engineering, or closely related scientific fields

Required Skills

• Multi-step synthesis of fluorescent dyes/contrast agents

• Able to use spectroscopy to characterize compounds

• Able to work independently and professionally with minimal supervision and direction

• Ability to write scholarly papers based on ongoing research and submit them to journals for publication

• Able to work in a collaborative environment

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, as well as oral presentation skills

• Demonstrated proficiency in either dye/contrast reagent development OR photoacoustic imager engineering
• Strong analytical abilities, a proven track record of scientific publication, and the ability to work independently and collaboratively across two dynamic research labs