Research Associate

Worcester Polytechnic Institute • Worcester, MA

32d • $60,000 - $70,000

About The Position

The Integrated Circuits and Systems (ICAS) Laboratory at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), in collaboration with MIT, invites applications for a highly motivated Postdoctoral Research Associate to lead the design of custom integrated circuits for next-generation sub-mm-scale implantable biomedical devices. This position is aligned with a large-scale ARPA-H–supported effort (Oculab) focused on developing clinically robust implantable sensing platforms. Project Overview The Oculab program aims to develop a fully integrated, sub-millimeter-scale implantable system capable of continuous physiological monitoring with embedded intelligence. The device integrates: • Custom mixed-signal ICs for high-precision biomedical sensing • Energy harvesting and energy-efficient system design • Low-latency wireless communication The long-term vision is to establish a new class of autonomous implantable biomedical devices that enable continuous monitoring, early detection of disease progression, and clinically actionable insights.

Requirements

• Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering or related field
• Strong background in analog/mixed-signal IC design
• Demonstrated experience with multiple successful silicon tapeouts (strongly required)
• Expertise in low-power design techniques
• Experience with advanced CMOS technology nodes (strongly required)
• Proven ability to independently lead full-chip design and validation (strongly required)

Nice To Haves

• Experience designing ICs for biomedical or implantable devices
• Knowledge of energy harvesters, power management, and wireless power transfer circuits
• Track record of publications in leading conferences/journals (ISSCC, JSSC, CICC, TBioCAS, etc.)
• We seek a candidate who thrives in ambitious, high-impact research environments and is excited about translating advanced integrated circuit design into clinically meaningful biomedical technologies.
• The ideal candidate will combine deep technical expertise with system-level thinking and a strong interest in advancing next-generation intelligent implantable systems.

Responsibilities

• Architect and design custom mixed-signal integrated circuits for sub-mm-scale implantable systems
• Lead multiple IC tapeouts from concept through silicon validation
• Design ultra-low-power analog front-ends for biomedical sensing
• Develop ADCs, power management blocks, clocking systems, and on-chip interfaces
• Contribute to low-power digital/AI accelerator blocks for on-device inference if needed
• Co-design sensing interfaces with luminescent and other physiological sensor modalities
• Collaborate on energy harvesting and communication subsystems
• Perform post-silicon validation, characterization, and system-level integration
• Mentor graduate students and contribute to proposal writing and high-impact publications

Benefits

• Along with its state-of-the-art research facilities, WPI offers competitive and comprehensive employee benefit programs, including paid time off, health insurance, life and long-term disability insurance, retirement savings plans, tuition assistance, flexible spending accounts, and a working environment that prioritizes mental health and well-being.
• It is a community committed to civility and respect—making inclusion and belonging a reality for everyone on its campus.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Education Level: Ph.D. or professional degree