Two-year Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biotechnology
VinUni-Illinois Smart Health Center
Call for Applications for Postdoctoral Fellowship
Two-year Postdoctoral Fellowship in Biotechnology
(Total Salary for Two Years $90,000)
Open date: 01/06/2022 – Closing date: 30/09/2022
Position summary
The VinUni-Illinois Smart Health Center (VISHC) recently established between VinUni and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign offers a postdoctoral fellowship for excellent young Vietnamese scholars who have completed their PhD within the last several years, and who are looking for a stimulating and supportive interdisciplinary environment to carry out independent and collaborative research in the fields of cancer diagnostics, infectious disease diagnostics, cancer health monitoring, design of novel biosensors, data analysis, and biomedical devices. VishC postdoc fellows will spend two or more years conducting research in both VinUni and UIUC labs (Prof. Wang and Prof. Cunningham).
Our theme’s mission is to develop a new generation of diagnostic technologies that are compatible with the combined characteristics of low-cost instrumentation, simple assay methods, high sensitivity, accurate quantitation, and rigorous validity. We envision creation of diagnostic technologies that can be deployed in home-based self-testing scenarios that are linked to a patient’s mobile device, as well as point of care scenarios that are used in clinics. When utilized as data-collection devices within a broader cloud-based telehealth medical service system, such devices will provide key information to physicians that will enable longitudinal monitoring, and personalized data-driven decision-making to complement healthcare delivered by conventional hospitals and medical centers. In projects related to cancer liquid biopsies, our goal is to measure diagnostic biomarkers (such as miRNA, ctDNA, and lncRNA) in cancer patients to identify cancer sub-classes, to monitor recurrence, and to track therapy. In projects related to infectious disease, we develop rapid, quantitative, and ultrasensitive technologies for viral detection and serology with simple workflows for point of care scenarios. Working jointly with the VinUni and UIUC, we seek individuals who will serve in a research and leadership role to facilitate collaboration between interdisciplinary teams at the intersection of computational genomics, engineering, molecular biology, and clinical practice.
Responsibility
The Fellow will develop ultra-sensitive technologies that integrate molecular probes built on designer DNA nanostructures, DNA strand displacement, and protein engineering strategies with nanostructured optical biosensors, high contrast nanoparticle tags (quantum dots and plasmonic nanoparticles), and microscopy-based detection instrumentation. The candidate will support and lead projects with clinical collaborators from Vinuni College of Health Sciences, Vinmec International Hospital and Mayo Clinic.
Qualifications
Candidates with a PhD in Bioengineering, Chemistry, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology or related discipline are preferred. Experience in the development and characterization of biosensors with an emphasis on optics-based approaches such as fluorescence, nanoparticle tags, or label-free detection are desired. Preference will be given to candidates familiar with novel diagnostic assay development utilizing engineered nucleic acid probes (such as toehold and DNA origami-based probes), CRISPR/Cas, RNA-seq, and digital droplet PCR.
How to apply
Applicants should submit a CV, a research summary, and the names of three recommenders who can write letters on their behalf. This information should be sent to shc@vinuni.edu.vn and/or Dr. Do Danh Cuong (cuong.dd@vinuni.edu.vn).