Taiwan-USC Recruiting Faculty and Departments

If your research interest aligns with any of the faculty listed below, please indicate this in your cover letter and your application. You can see a list of the schools and departments by visiting the academic portal for USC.


Mark Humayun, MD, PhD

Professor of Ophthalmology, Biomedical Engineering and Cell and Neurobiology, Director of the Institute for Biomedical Therapeutics

USC Institute for Biomedical Therapeutics Laboratory

Looking for a postdoc with expertise in performing subretinal implantation surgeries in rats and conduct OCT imaging to assess the location of the implant placement. Contribute to visual functional assessments in rodents based on electrophysiology and behavioral testing. Conduct periodic ophthalmic evaluations in rats. Interested candidates should have extensive experience in field of ophthalmology and surgical skills.


Cheng-Ming Chuong, MD, PhD, Professor of Pathology, Academician, Academia Sinica, Taiwan

http://www-hsc.usc.edu/~cmchuong  | contact: cmchuiong@usc.edu

Lab research objectives

  1. Self-organization of stem cells and engineering of tissue patterns.
  2. Collective regenerative behavior of an organ population.
  3. How the shape and size of an organ is produced.
  4. Epigenetics regulation of stem cell activity and skin regional specificity.
  5. Evo-Devo of feathers and other integumentary organs

Projects: chicken feathers, mouse hairs, wound regeneration, skin tissue engineering


Brian Lee, MD PhD  Director of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery Department of Neurological Surgery

USC Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) Laboratory

We are seeking a full-time postdoctoral fellow to work on a funded project related to cognitive-based brain-computer interface devices (BCI) for patients with spinal cord injuries and movement disorders.  In particular, we are interested in utilizing intracranial subdural electrocorticography (ECoG) electrodes as a platform for recording and stimulating the human cerebral cortex so we can better understand how somatosensation is natively encoded, and conversely, how we can engineer artificial sensation through direct ECoG electrical stimulation for use in a closed-loop BCI.  Our lab has strong collaborations with the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) on many joint studies.  Requirements – PhD in neuroscience, engineering, mathematics, or related field – Strong computational/engineering background – Experience in neural time series data analysis – Skilled in MATLAB or Python


Bora Gencturk, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Director, Structures and Materials Research Laboratory (SMRL), Sonny Astani Dept. of Civil and Env. Engineering

Phone: (213) 821-1036, Fax: (213) 744-1426
Email: gencturk@usc.edu | SMRL website: smrl.usc.edu
  • Novel materials and environmental durability.
  • Advanced structural testing and measurement.
  • Reliability analysis and probabilistic methods.
  • Life-cycle assessment (LCA) and structural optimization.
  • Field investigations and structural assessment.

Keane Lai, M.D. keanelai@usc.edu
Department of Pathology, Research Center for ALPD & CirrhosisGastrointestinal Cancers Program
USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center
  • Looking for a postdoc with expertise in immunoblotting; protein complex immunoprecipitation (Co-IP), chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP), and RNA immunoprecipitation (RIP); RNA and DNA extraction and purification; RT-qPCR and qPCR and conventional PCR; gel electrophoresis; mouse genotyping; breeding and maintenance of mouse colonies; cell culture, including aseptic/sterile technique, propagation and maintenance of cell lines, spheroid formation assay; lentiviral and adenoviral transduction; collection of tissues for frozen sections, in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry, and cell culture.
  • Proficiency in English and in the use of Microsoft Excel.
Research links:

Carolee Winstein, Professor, Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy
Looking for postdoc(s) with expertise in acquisition and analysis of human movement data with interest and some experience in one or more research methods including motion capture, neuroimaging, and human physiology. Proficient in English (written and spoken) and Matlab.

Sean Curran spcurran@usc.edu Associate Professor Assistant Dean of Research

Amy Lee,  Glucose-regulated proteins in cancer: molecular mechanisms and therapeutic potential

Chang, Karen changkt@med.usc.edu
Assistant Professor
University of Southern California
Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute and
Dept of Cell & Neurobiology
We are seeking highly motivated individuals to join our group in studying synaptic dysfunctions and neurological disorders using Drosophila as a model system.  Postdoctoral candidates with a PhD degree and background in neurobiology, cell biology, biochemistry, and electrophysiology are encouraged to apply.  Preference will be given to candidates with expertise in Drosophila genetics, electrophysiology, and confocal imaging.  Candidates must have earned or will soon receive a Ph.D. in a field of science related to this posting.  Candidates are expected to be highly motivated, independent, and creative.   For more information, see https://keck.usc.edu/faculty/karen-ting-chang/

Annie Wong-Beringer, PharmD, FIDSA
Professor of Clinical Pharmacy, School of Pharmacy – Anti-infective Pharmacology Laboratory, Wong-Beringer Lab
Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education

The University of Southern California School of Pharmacy is seeking a highly motivated individual for the Wong-Beringer/Beringer Laboratory to work on infection and immunity aspects of host-pathogen interactions impacting outcome of clinical infections caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

The goal of our major project is to understand the mechanisms underlying bacterial manipulation of host innate and adaptive immune response and host genetic susceptibility leading to poor outcomes of acute and chronic infections. Additionally, agents with immunomodulatory activity will be investigated to harness their therapeutic potential for use in conjunction with antibiotic therapy to precisely target patients based on phenotype-genotype data.

Specific responsibilities include planning and analysis of research studies and preparation of data for papers and grants. The candidate is also expected to assist the P.I. in training undergraduate and graduate students as needed.

Successful candidates should have a recent Ph.D. in Immunology, Molecular Microbiology, Cellular Biology or related fields.  Strong experience in flow cytometry, cell culture protein chemistry, experimental models of infection, and molecular cloning is highly desirable.


Axel H. Schönthal, PhD
                                    Associate Professor of Mol. Microbiol. & Immunol.
                                    Keck School of Medicine of USC
                                    Tel. 323-442-1730
                                    Email: schontha@usc.edu
together with:          Thomas C. Chen, MD,PhD
                                    Professor of Neurosurgery
                                    Keck School of Medicine of USC
                                    Tel. 323-442-3918
                                    Email: tcchen@usc.edu
Statement of Interest for Joint Taiwanese-USC Postdoctoral Program: Cancer Biology and Drug Development
A postdoctoral research position is available in a multidisciplinary cancer research group at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Headed by Thomas C. Chen, MD/PhD, Professor of Neurosurgery, the Glioma Research Group is an alliance of USC laboratories dedicated to developing better treatments for a variety of cancer types, such as glioblastoma, medulloblastoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and brain-metastatic breast and lung cancers. The main objective is the rapid translation of preclinical findings into clinically useful applications. Interested candidates should have extensive experience in molecular and cellular cancer biology, and strong interest in interdisciplinary cancer research within a highly interactive group of dedicated researchers. For further details, please see http://pibbs.usc.edu/faculty/profile/?fid=288  or contact Axel H. Schönthal, PhD, at schontha@usc.edu

 Seth John, Associate Professor (Research) of Earth Sciences | website
Trace-metals play important roles in many Earth processes. Professor John’s Marine Trace Element Laboratory (MTEL) studies the isotope geochemistry of trace-metals in order to understand how these crucial micronutrients support life in the modern ocean, and how they can be used as proxies to understand the history of biological and geological earth processes. Current and recent work includes the analysis of trace-metal stable isotope ratios (d56Fe, d66Zn, and d114Cd) in seawater and other marine samples, laboratory studies to observe how metal isotope fractionate under different experimental conditions, numerical modeling of metal isotope biogeochemical cycles in the oceans, and analysis of metal isotopes in geological reservoirs.

Krishna S. Nayak, Ph.D., knayak@usc.edu

Professor, Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical Engineering
Director, Magnetic Resonance Engineering Laboratory
Looking for postdoc(s) whose research will focus on (1) real-time MRI of human speech production and upper airway function or (2) quantitative non-contrast cardiac MRI.  The position involves the design of MRI experiment paradigms, pulse sequences, and image reconstruction methods, implementation and testing on clinical MRI scanners, and evaluation in adults, children, and patients. Responsibilities include mentoring 2-3 PhD students, running a weekly project meeting, managing weekly data collection involving human subjects, and working closely with collaborators in Linguistics, Otolaryngology, Cardiology, Pulmonology, and Biomedical Engineering (depending on the precise project). Our research is supported by the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation.
Research Links:

Leonardo Morsut, PhD, Assistant Professor of Stem cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, and of Biomedical Engineering;
Laboratory of Tissue Development Engineering
Do you want to contribute to the foundation of a new way of doing science at the intersection of developmental biology, tissue engineering and synthetic biology? Come join us at the Laboratory for Tissue Development Engineering in the Broad CIRM Center and Department of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine, Keck School of Medicine of USC!
The mission of the Lab is to build smart cellular and tissue constructs for regenerative medicine applications. The foundation of our approach is the merging of: synthetic biology tools, developmental and stem cell biology molecular understanding, computational modeling insight and tissue engineering devices. Current specific projects include engineered-cell-therapy for bone repair, development of a multicellular heart-on-a-dish, tissue description of cytoskeletal and magnetic field properties. For more information, see the research page of the lab’s webpage at https://morsutlab.usc.edu
The successful candidate will work under the supervision of the principal investigator to:
• develop research projects from ideation to publication;
• contribute to the ideation and writing of funding applications (grants, fellowships, …);
• contribute to development of IP;
• oversee other lab personnel (technicians, undergraduate students, …) and coordinate the research with other postdoctoral scholars, research associate and graduate students.
• Contribute to the generation and maintenance of a work environment that is concurrently competitive and healthy, where all individuals can thrive and maximally contribute to the lab as well as their own growth and success.

Hyungjin Eoh, DVM. Ph.D.

Assistant Professor of Mol. Microbiology & Immunology, Keck School of Medicine of USC

Tel. 323-442-6048, Email: heoh@usc.edu

Websites: https://keck.usc.edu/faculty/hyungjin-eoh/ | http://uscmmi.com/hyungjineohlab/

Recent publications: Nat. Microbiology. 2017 Accepted. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2017 Mar 14;114(11):E2225-E2232. Cell Rep. 2016 Jan 26;14(3):572-85.

   Brief Description of the position: Metabolomics based new antibiotics discovery and/or vaccine development in tuberculosis which is a number one human killer (annually 1.8 million world population) among infectious diseases, worldwide. Current expansion of our metabolomics study is active to understand mechanistic bases of iPSC (inducible Pluripotent Stem Cells, collaboration with Johns Hopkins Medical School), of infectious disease outcome in HIV or diabetic patients (collaboration with KSOM, USC), of acquisition of drug-tolerance/resistance (collaborations with TB research center USC and ITRC, South Korea), among many.

   Specific responsibilities include designing/planning experiments, preparation of data for manuscripts and grant application. The candidate is also expected to be actively involved in collaboration projects with various research areas including stem cell metabolism, host-infectious agent interactions, mechanistic understanding drug resistant mutants.

   Candidates should have recent Ph.D. or equivalent degree and have a strong background in biological sciences (microbiology, biochemistry or related areas). Candidates with prior experience in working with BSL3 laboratory, physiology of host-pathogen interaction or metabolism and LCMS metabolomics/big data mining are encouraged. More importantly, candidates should be demonstrated ability to work independently, enthusiastically and self-motivated.


Amy L. Firth amy.firth@med.usc.edu, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine

University of Southern California Hastings Center for Pulmonary Research, Department of Medicine, Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine

We are seeking highly motivated individuals to join our group in studying human lung diseases using patient specific cell models. We are particularly focused on the use of induced pluripotent stem cells to study the specification of specialized lung cell types and the development and progression of human lung diseases such as Cystic Fibrosis, Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia and COPD.

Postdoctoral candidates with a PhD degree and background in lung biology, bioinformatics, cell biology, epithelial biology, gene editing and stem cells and regenerative medicine are encouraged to apply. Preference will be given to candidates with strong experience in lung biology, experimental models of lung disease and bioinformatics analysis is highly desirable.

Specific responsibilities include planning and analysis of research studies and preparation of data for papers and grants. The candidate will be expected to assist in training undergraduate and graduate students as needed in the laboratory.

Candidates must have earned or will soon receive a Ph.D. in a field relevant to the interests of the Firth Lab as outlined above.  We are seeking candidates should be highly motivated, independent, and creative. For more information, see https://firthlab.usc.edu/ and http://profiles.sc-ctsi.org/amy.firth


J.-H. James Ou, Ph.D. Professor, Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Keck School of Medicine

Email: jamesou@hsc.usc.edu, Phone: (323) 442-1720, Lab Website: http://uscmmi.com/jamesoulab

The research of our laboratory is centered on hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and liver cancer. We are particularly interested in understanding how these two viruses interact with their host cells, how they invaded host immunity to establish persistent infection, and how they cause liver diseases including hepatocellular carcinoma.


Ching Ling Lien, Ph.D., Associate Professor Surgery and Biochemistry & Molecular Science
We are looking for a hard working candidate with molecular biology background and research experience in zebrafish and/or iPSC cells. He/She will carry out gene expression analysis using single cell RNAseq to determine the molecular mechanisms of coronary and lymphatic vessel development and their roles in heart regeneration.

Jean Chen Shih, Ph.D. Boyd and Elsie Welin Professor

Member, Academia Sinica, Taiwan

https://pibbs.usc.edu/faculty/profile/?fid=35

https://pharmacyschool.usc.edu/research/centers/translational-research/

Jean Chen Shih’s lab at the Department of Pharmacology & Pharmaceutical Sciences at USC is seeking a Postdoctoral Scholar to conduct research on the role of cancer stem cells in prostate, glioma and other cancers, and to develop tumor-targeted therapy.  The candidate will collaborate with an interdisciplinary team consisting of cancer researchers and clinicians to develop new therapies targeted to cancer stem cells. The approach will involve genetically-defined murine cancer models, human primary cell cultures, and clinically-derived patient samples. The candidate should be proficient in molecular biology techniques, including cancer stem cell culture, live cell microscopy, immunoblot analysis, qPCR assay and histology.  Responsibilities include research design and data analysis. Candidate should be highly self-motivated and independent.  Excellent written and verbal communication skills are required. Publications in journals in related fields are desirable.