Job Description

Details

Open Date 10/29/2026 Requisition Number PRN46629B Job Title Post Doc Res Assoc Working Title Postdoctoral Researcher for Cornea Chip Career Progression Track A00 Track Level FLSA Code Administrative Patient Sensitive Job Code? No Standard Hours per Week 40 Full Time or Part Time? Full Time Shift Day Work Schedule Summary

Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm

VP Area Academic Affairs Department 00068 - Mechanical Engineering Location Campus City Salt Lake City, UT Type of Recruitment External Posting Pay Rate Range 65,000-70,000 Close Date 12/31/2026 Priority Review Date (Note - Posting may close at any time) Job Summary

The Kim Laboratory at the University of Utah (Department of Mechanical Engineering and John A. Moran Eye Center) is seeking a highly motivated, creative, and collaborative Postdoctoral Research Fellow. The fellow will lead the biological arm of an NIH-funded project on corneal mechanotransduction in keratoconus. This project sits at the intersection of corneal biology, mechanobiology, and organ-on-chip engineering, and builds on the laboratory’s recent work on curvature-dependent regulation of corneal stromal cells (Nature Communications, 2025).

The successful candidate will generate and validate CRISPR/Cas9 knockout corneal stromal cell lines. They will also study how curvature and mechanical load regulate corneal cell behavior in hydraulically controlled organ-chip platforms, and identify the mechanotransduction pathways underlying keratoconus progression. Candidates should hold a Ph.D. in Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Vision Science, Biomedical Engineering, or a related field, with a strong track record of first-author publications.

This role requires hands-on expertise in mammalian cell culture, CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing, and core molecular and imaging techniques such as qPCR, Western blotting, immunocytochemistry, and confocal microscopy. A solid understanding of mechanotransduction signaling, including YAP/TAZ, cytoskeletal remodeling, and ECM regulation, is essential. The preferred candidate will also bring experience with corneal or ocular cell culture, 3D or microfluidic culture systems, and RNA-seq or quantitative image analysis.

Responsibilities Minimum Qualifications Preferences Type Benefited Staff Special Instructions Summary Additional Information

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