Postdoctoral Research Associate - College of Engineering - Department of Mechanical Engineering

Carnegie Mellon University is a private, global research university that stands among the world’s most renowned education institutions. With ground-breaking brain science, path-breaking performances, creative start-ups, big data, big ambitions, hands-on learning, and a whole lot of robots, CMU doesn’t imagine the future, we invent it. If you’re passionate about joining a community that challenges the curious to deliver work that matters, your journey starts here!

Innovation. Interdisciplinary collaboration. Complex problem solving. In Carnegie Mellon University’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, faculty members, researchers, and students are revolutionizing focus areas in advanced manufacturing, bioengineering, computational engineering, energy and the environment, product design, and robotics. In addition, they are using their expertise in interdisciplinary research centers across the university.
 

Carnegie Mellon University’s department of Mechanical Engineering is searching for a Postdoctoral Research Associate to join their team. This is an exciting opportunity for someone who thrives in an interesting and challenging work environment. You will contribute to the department by focusing on the interface between engineered mammalian cells and implantable device environments, including studies of cell adaptation, longevity, functional stability, optical readout compatibility, and integrated system behavior.

This role will emphasize assessment of engineered cells in configurations relevant to device integration. The postdoctoral associate will design and execute experiments to understand how engineered cells perform over time in controlled in vitro settings, biomaterial-supported culture environments, and prototype device-relevant configurations. The position requires a technically mature researcher who can work across cell biology, biomaterials, device testing, quantitative imaging, and experimental systems engineering.

Core Responsibilities:

• Lead cell-device integration experiments supporting project milestones.
• Develop test plans for evaluating engineered cells under implant-relevant in vitro conditions.
• Collaborate with cell-engineering, device, optics, tissue-engineering, and systems- integration teams.
• Establish reproducible protocols for longitudinal culture, functional testing, and data collection.
• Analyze optical, biological, and device-performance datasets using appropriate statistical and computational methods.
• Maintain detailed laboratory notebooks, SOPs, QC records, and milestone documentation.
• Prepare presentations, technical reports, manuscripts, and sponsor-facing materials.
• Mentor junior researchers and coordinate day-to-day experimental activities with technicians and students.
• Identify integration risks and develop fallback experimental strategies.
• Adapt engineered therapeutic and sensing cells to implant-relevant materials, compartments, matrices, and culture configurations.
• Evaluate long-term cell viability, proliferation, stability, reporter output, and functional response under controlled conditions.
• Design and operate in vitro platforms to assess cell performance over extended periods.
• Study how device-relevant factors, such as optical access, material interfaces, culture geometry, nutrient/oxygen availability, and repeated stimulation or measurement cycles, affect engineered-cell function.
• Support testing of cell systems in prototype device configurations.
• Develop quantitative readouts for cell longevity, functional retention, signal stability, and system compatibility.
• Coordinate with collaborators to compare CMU-based device-relevant results with external benchmarks.
• Generate integrated datasets that support milestone decisions, design iterations, and downstream validation planning.
• Perform other project-related duties as assigned.

Adaptability, excellence, and passion are vital qualities within Carnegie Mellon University. We are in search of a team member who can effectively interact with a varied population of internal and external partners at a high level of integrity. We are looking for someone who shares our values and who will support the mission of the university through their work.

Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in Biology, Mechanical Engineering, Biology, Bioengineering, Cell Biology, Tissue Engineering, Synthetic Biology, or a closely related field.
• 3-5 years of experience
• Demonstrated ability to design and execute experiments involving mammalian cells, biomaterials or device-relevant culture systems, quantitative imaging or fluorescence assays, and longitudinal data collection.
• Experience with hydrogel culture, ECM-based systems, microfabricated devices, implantable-devic