EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Several research positions are currently available at a number of levels. See below for further details.

Postdoctoral Research Fellows

We have currently openings for one or two postdoctoral research fellows in the following research areas:

(1) The first research area involves the design, construction, and development of a miniaturized endoscope that integrates femtosecond laser micro-surgery (FLMS) with two-photon microscopy (TPM) for use in human patients, with particular emphasis on early cancer detection and treatment. This project requires a broad range of research activities in the following topics: photonic crystal fibers, design of micro-optical assemblies, ultra-fast lasers and optics, characterization of optical MEMS, studies of femtosecond laser micro-surgery deep in tissue, and eventually clinical studies with human subjects. Past experience with femtosecond lasers, optical design, and photonics is recommended. Experience and interest in biomedical imaging would be a plus.

(2) The second research area involves the application of plasmonics (nanoparticles, nanorods, and quantum dots) for femtosecond laser nanosurgery and two-photon microscopy. Past experinece in one or more of the following topics is recommended: near-field effects, femtosecond laser micromachining, laser surgery, two-photon microscopy and biophotonics.

(3) The third research area involves study of nerve regeneration in C. elegans using femtosecond laser nanosurgery. Past experience with femtosecond laser micromachining or surgery is recommended. Experience and interest in neurosciences would be a plus.

Interested parties should send CV with two or three faculty references and one or two selected publications to Professor Adela Ben-Yakar at ben-yakar@mail.utexas.edu. A one-page statement of current interests and past research experience would be helpful.

Graduate Students

We typically accept one or two graduate students each year. The graduate students in our group come from Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Physics.

Interested parties should apply directly to one of the following programs (be sure to indicate your interest in our research group). Upon acceptance, they should contact Professor Adela Ben-Yakar (ben-yakar@mail.utexas.edu) for further discussion.

Mechanical Engineering graduate program.

Biomedical Engineering graduate program.

IGERT: Cellular and Molecular Imaging for Diagnostics and Therapeutics (This program provides graduate fellowships)

Institute for Neuroscience, The University of Texas at Austin

We highly encourage all prospective students to apply for fellowships, which are prestigious and guarantee financial support. Such programs, which are typically limited to U.S. citizens, include:

The National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship

The National Defense Science & Engineering Graduate Fellowship

National Physical Science Consortium Graduate Fellowship in Physical Sciences

The Hertz Foundation Graduate Fellowship

Undergraduate Students

We have openings for enthusiastic undergraduate students from engineering school and biology who eventually would like to apply for a graduate school. We only accept undergraduate students with GPA of 3.6 and above. The students are expected to gain experience in various research areas such as optics, lasers, biomedical imaging, and biology.

Check out the Undergraduate Research Fellowships: Provide support (up to $1,000) for specific scholarly investigative projects conducted by University of Texas at Austin undergraduates.

Interested parties should email to Prof. Ben-Yakar (ben-yakar@mail.utexas.edu) their GPA/transcript and their research interests.

Visitors

We welcome faculty, research scientists, and postdocs from other universities who would like to be affiliated with our group for a period of time (preferably for three months minimum). Visiting faculty/scientists may work on one of our research projects, on related research, or on writing or may teach undergraduate/graduate classes.

Interested parties should send an email to Prof. Ben-Yakar at ben-yakar@mail.utexas.edu.