Postdoctoral Research Associate - Engineering
Washington University in St. Louis
Washington, DC, USA · Danforth, ME, USA
Posted on Jun 18, 2025
Position Summary
Postdoctoral Research position open in the O’Brien Lab (Department of Biomedical Engineering, Danforth and Medical Campus).Dr. Christine O’Brien invites applicants to join her laboratory, which focuses on developing optical spectroscopy and imaging tools to solve global problems in reproductive health. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work with a multidisciplinary team, including collaborators in engineering, obstetrics & gynecology, and radiology. As a translational biomedical engineering lab, the successful candidate will work on projects that have high potential to impact patients, particularly those in under served areas where needs are greatest. The O’Brien Lab aims to foster a supportive environment in which team members work together to creatively solve global medical challenges.
A postdoctoral position is available immediately for applicants interested in developing novel wearable optical sensors for applications in maternal health. The goals of this project are to develop fully wearable sensors that can be worn during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum recovery to provide early identification of the leading causes of maternal mortality. Project work will involve sensor design, including analog front-end design, light source modulation, sensor miniaturization including PCB design, sensor testing via physiology-mimicking phantoms, animal models, healthy control subjects, and pregnant patients, and analysis of continuous time series data including signal processing, feature extraction, and statistical analysis.
In addition to high-quality research facilities, career and professional development training for postdoctoral researchers is provided through the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs, Career Center, Teaching Center, and campus groups.
Job Description
Primary Duties & Responsibilities:
Information on being a postdoc at WashU in St. Louis can be found at https://postdoc.wustl.edu/prospective-postdocs-2/.
Trains under the supervision of Prof. O’Brien including (but not limited to):
- Manages their own project, which is expected to yield one or more publications.
- Develops expertise in camera-based wearable optical sensors, including design, fabrication, and testing.
- Supports or leads evaluation of novel wearable sensors via physiological phantoms, animal studies, and patient studies.
- Mentors doctoral, master’s and undergraduate students engaged in independent research activities.
- Develops proficiency in career skills, including writing, public speaking, networking, and critical evaluation of scientific literature.
- Presents scientific work both inside and outside the University with excellent oral communication skills.
- Assists with grant preparation and reporting, and contributes to laboratory organization including meeting planning.
- Designs research experiments, evaluates research findings and reports results.
- Conscientious discharge of research responsibilities.
- Maintains conformity with ethical standards in research.
- Maintains compliance with good laboratory practice including the maintenance of adequate research records.
- Engages in open and timely discussion with their mentor regarding possession or distribution of material, reagents, or records belonging to their laboratory and any proposed disclosure of findings or techniques privately or in publications.
- Collegial conduct towards co-trainees, staff members and members of the research group.
- Adherence to all applicable University policies, procedures and regulations. All data, research records and materials and other intellectual property generated in University laboratories remain the property of the University.
Salary Range:
Base pay is commensurate with experience.
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all job duties performed by the personnel so classified. Management reserves the right to revise or amend duties at any time.Required Qualifications
Education:
Ph.D., M.D. Or Equivalent Terminal Or Doctoral Degree.
Certifications:
Work Experience:
Skills:
Driver's License:
More About This Job
Preferred Qualifications:
- Area of expertise: microelectronics, PCB design, instrumentation, signal processing, biomedical optics, wearables, light-tissue interaction, statistical analysis, design of optical systems, Monte Carlo modeling.
Preferred Qualifications
Education:
No additional education beyond what is stated in the Required Qualifications section.
Certifications:
Work Experience:
Skills:
Questions
For frequently asked questions about the application process, please refer to our External Applicant FAQ.
Accommodation
If you are unable to use our online application system and would like an accommodation, please email CandidateQuestions@wustl.edu or call the dedicated accommodation inquiry number at 314-935-1149 and leave a voicemail with the nature of your request.
All qualified individuals must be able to perform the essential functions of the position satisfactorily and, if requested, reasonable accommodations will be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job, absent undue hardship.