Skip directly to: Navigation for this section | Main page content

Bioinstrumentation and BioMEMS Laboratory

Research Highlight:

Photo

Metabolite Content Profiling of Bottlenose Dolphin Exhaled Breath. Analytical Chemistry 86(21): 10616-10624.

Open Positions

Applicants should email a pdf copy of their CV, a cover letter, with the names and contact information for three professional references to Prof. Cristina Davis ( ). Please only send your materials to this gmail account, where we are accumulating CVs for review. Do not send CC your material to the UC Davis email address.

Applications are reviewed immediately at the time of submission, and interviews are scheduled on a rolling basis with selected candidates. Due to the large number of requests, it is not possible to reply to all inquiries.

*NEW* Open Position - Postdoctoral Fellowship focused on Electrical/Mechanical Engineering Systems

Our research group has active projects on-going in the area of miniature ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) and differential mobility spectrometry (DMS) related chemical sensors. We are developing next-generation field portable devices capable of monitoring for specific compounds in very complex and challenging operating environments. Chemical sensors that can rapidly, accurately, and specifically detect extremely small concentrations of specific materials in complex environments are urgently needed. Such technologies can make an impact on everything from public health to national defense.

Part of our research involves designing and prototyping engineering systems that integrate our novel chemical sensor(s) for mobile detection applications. This will involve designing integrated systems with control algorithms, and testing and prototyping the devices. These prototypes are application specific, and there will be opportunities to work on multiple projects across the biomedical and agriculture communities.

Candidates must have previously published in the area of sensor control systems and have hand-on manufacturing experience with integrated prototype design and fabrication. This is a multi-year funded position, contingent upon strong performance in the first year of employment.

Objectives of the project will include:

    • Design and implement novel sensor systems for precision gas-phase chemical detection.
    • Characterization of the sensor performance under realistic conditions.
    • Fine tuning the device parameters for specific chemical detection applications.

Job Requirements:

    • Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, or highly related engineering or science discipline(s)
    • Prior hands-on experience with manufacturing, prototyping, and benchmark testing of novel devices
    • Prior peer-reviewed journal publications on control systems, systems integration, protype design and prototype testing of new devices
    • Hands-on experience using traditional machining tools, including: mill, lathe, laser, waterjet, etc.
    • Hands-on experience using 3D CAD software such as Solidworks, Autocad Inventor
    • Hands-on experience developing embedded systems hardware and firmware including familiarity with Arduino or equivalent
    • Hands-on experience with laboratory testing equipment and data acquisition, including LabVIEW
    • Hands-on experience with coding languages such as MATLAB, C++ and R
    • Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
    • Skill, knowledge, and ability to prepare written manuscripts on experimental and theoretical data analysis and experimental methods
    • Excellent written and verbal communication skills to discuss, plan, and present results to a multi-disciplinary laboratory group, and to interact with personnel from different academic disciplines
    • Strong leadership skills to guide research of graduate and undergraduate student lab members

The following are also recommended:

    • Modeling of fluid flows or electric fields using analytical methods or through software such as COMSOL Multiphysics, OpenFOAM
    • Experience testing chemical sensor systems, or willingness to learn established protocols
    • Experience in microfabrication cleanroom work, or willingness to learn established protocols
    • Excellent organizational skills and ability to prioritize multiple tasks effectively
    • Skill and ability to effectively teach general health and safety procedures to laboratory personnel
    • Ability to effectively adapt to organizational change and contribute towards general laboratory research goals

Why Work at UC Davis?

UC Davis is a place with a purpose. Whether caring for human and animal health, addressing issues in the changing environment, cultivating and protecting food systems, or enriching lives through art and intellectual exploration, we are united in our understanding that cutting-edge innovation and open minds will increase the quality of life for all. When you join UC Davis, you grow and transform while helping to transform UC Davis. You are part of a unique, interdisciplinary community that embraces the challenge of addressing the greatest issues of our time while growing personally and professionally.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer advancing inclusive excellence. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories covered by the UC nondiscrimination policy.

UC Davis is a smoke- and tobacco-free campus. Smoking, the use of smokeless tobacco products, and the use of unregulated nicotine products (e-cigarettes) is strictly prohibited on any UC Davis owned or leased property, indoors and outdoors, including parking lots and residential space.