Postdoctoral Research Associate

Washington State University • Pullman, WA

1d • $55,000 - $60,000 • Onsite

About The Position

The Sharma Lab (Translational Nanomedicines Research Laboratory webpage) in Department of Chemistry at Washington State University (WSU) invites applications for a full-time, twelve-month, fixed-term postdoctoral research associate appointment in Pullman, WA, with a specialty in the in the areas of nanomedicine, targeted drug delivery, and polymer/dendrimer chemistry. The Sharma lab is developing rationally designed, smart, clinically translatable novel cell-targeted nanotechnologies for target-specific drug/gene delivery and imaging applications to help diagnose and treat unmet medical problems in the areas of brain and eye diseases, and cancer. We are seeking a highly motivated scientist to join our dynamic, multidisciplinary research team. The ideal candidate will bring strong expertise in polymer/dendrimer synthetic approaches, linker chemistry, conjugation techniques, drug release studies, nanomaterial synthesis, purification, and characterization. The successful candidate will conduct independent research while thriving in a collaborative environment, also contributing to manuscript preparation, and support grant writing. This position offers the opportunity to work at the intersection of translational science and innovation, tackling impactful biomedical challenges with access to state-of-the-art facilities This 12-month position is renewable on yearly basis for up to an additional 2 years. It is anticipated that the successful candidate will begin the appointment on November 1, 2025. Renewal depends on satisfactory performance, the continued need for the position, and funding continuation.

Requirements

• Successful candidates must possess a PhD in Chemistry or a related field and be able to work independently with high self-motivation.
• Experience in modern purification and characterization techniques for small molecules and macromolecules.
• Experience with nanoparticle uptake and efficacy studies in cells, and/or in vivo models is a plus.

Nice To Haves

• Prior research experience in polymer/dendrimer synthetic approaches and drug conjugation, carbohydrate chemistry, bioconjugation chemistry, and/or hydrogels.

Responsibilities

• Design, synthesize, and characterize polymer and dendrimer-based nanomaterials for targeted drug, and gene delivery.
• Develop and optimize linker chemistries and conjugation strategies for attaching therapeutics, targeting ligands, and imaging probes to nanocarriers.
• Conduct drug release, stability, and degradation studies under physiologically relevant conditions.
• Purify and characterize nanomaterials using HPLC, SEC, NMR, FTIR, UV–Vis, fluorescence spectroscopy, MALDI-TOF, and DLS/zeta potential analysis.
• Collaborate with biology team members to translate chemical constructs into in vitro and in vivo evaluation pipelines.
• Maintain meticulous records of experimental procedures, data, and analytical results in electronic laboratory notebooks.
• Analyze data, interpret findings, and contribute to manuscript writing, conference presentations, and grant applications.
• Mentor and train graduate and undergraduate researchers in synthetic chemistry techniques and characterization methods.
• Stay current with advances in nanomedicine, polymer chemistry, and click chemistry relevant to the lab’s research directions.
• Adhere to laboratory safety protocols and ensure compliance with university and federal regulations.
• Perform other related duties as assigned to support the lab’s research and translational objectives.

Benefits

• WSU offers a comprehensive benefits package which includes paid sick and vacation leave; paid holidays; medical, dental, life and disability insurance package for employees and dependents; retirement; deferred compensation and optional supplemental retirement accounts.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees