Postdoctoral Associate positions are available in the MIT “Humanizing Drug Development” Microphysiological Systems (MPS) liver team, led by Prof Linda Griffith in collaboration with Doug Lauffenburger and Dave Trumper, for a collaboration with NovoNordisk focused on integrating systems biology with MPS for cardiometabolic disease modeling.
This team developed the core technology for the PhysioMimix (Liverchip) technology (CN BioInnovations) used in industry for human preclinical liver assays, and has also developed synthetic extracellular matrix for engineering human epithelial tissues with microvasculature. We have recently developed a new microvascularized human liver model employing microfluidic technology, and are further developing this model for use in modeling cardiometabolic disease. Related projects funded by NIH apply these technologies to modeling endometriosis, Lyme disease, and other chronic inflammatory conditions. Three postdoctoral positions are available now on our integrated team. One position involves development of methods for quantitative analysis of metabolic and inflammatory function in devices, requiring a combination of experimental and computational effort (co-supervised by Griffith and Lauffenburger); a second position involves adaptions in microfluidic platforms for multi-MPS interactions using pumping technologies we developed (supervised by Trumper and Griffith, in collaboration with others); and a third position involves characterization of liver sinusoidal endothelial cell function. Postdocs will interact with a diverse, multidisciplinary team across several MIT Departments and with industry collaborators.
Successful candidates will have a PhD in Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, related field, and appropriate prior experience with either micro- and meso-fluidic device design, characterization, and fabrication or with quantitative analysis of tissue engineered in vitro models, especially liver. Please contact Prof. Linda Griffith (griff@mit.edu) with cv, statement including your timeline of availability, and 3 references.
