Open Positions

Graduate Student Positions

We are actively recruiting graduate students to work on interdisciplinary long-term NIH-funded projects focused on translational photonics. Current projects include:

Fluorescence lifetime spectroscopy and imaging for surgical guidance.
Multimodal intravascular imaging systems combining fluorescence lifetime and optical coherence tomography.
Signal and image processing, visualization (image augmentation and mixed reality approaches), and AI/deep learning.

Postdoctoral Position in Biomedical Optics

University of California Davis

Image Guided Cancer Surgery
Signal and Image Processing and Visualization
Intravascular Imaging
Quantitative Imaging of Atherosclerosis

Image Guided Cancer Surgery

Status: Open

Description: A postdoctoral research position is open for applicants with experimental research experience in biomedical optics. The successful candidate will work in a highly collaborative research environment focused on the development and clinical validation of novel fluorescence-guided surgery instrumentation. The position is part of a collaborative project between Biophotonics Laboratory (https://marculab.bme.ucdavis.edu/) at the University of California Davis (Department of Biomedical Engineering) and Intuitive Surgical (www.intuitive.com), maker of Da Vinci surgical systems. We are looking for highly motivated individuals with an interest in research and applications of optical spectroscopy and imaging to support the development and clinical validation of fluorescence lifetime technology for intraoperative cancer delineation.

Objectives:

Contribute to the improvement of fluorescence-guided surgery using novel fluorescence lifetime imaging instrumentation
Oversee collection of clinical data during head and neck cancer surgery
Work in collaboration with clinical collaborators at UC Davis Health including surgeons from the otolaryngology department, OR personnel, pathologists, research coordinators
Develop software and methods for data analysis and visualization
Provide support for regulatory activities related to the clinical translation by generating documentation and test data
The successful candidates will work on National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded multidisciplinary projects focused on research, development, and clinical translation of optical techniques for in-vivo diagnosis of human diseases
The initial appointment is for two years with the potential for extension depending on performance

Qualifications: Candidates must have a Ph.D. degree and strong background in optical spectroscopy, validation of imaging technology, and statistical methods. Proficiency in coding using MATLAB is needed.

Application: Interested applicants should submit via e-mail a complete curriculum vitae, the contact information for three references, a short statement of research interest, and a copy of one or two publications from previous research to: Prof. Laura Marcu, UC Davis, e-mail: lmarcu@ucdavis.edu, (cc: Dr. Julien Bec, jbec@ucdavis.edu)

Signal and Image Processing and Visualization

Status: Open

Description: Postdoctoral research positions are open for applicants with strong expertise and experience in data analysis and image processing in the Biophotonics Laboratory at the University of California Davis (https://marculab.bme.ucdavis.edu/) Department of Biomedical Engineering. The focus of this research is to develop and apply data analysis methods to support the development and clinical validation of novel optical imaging techniques for image-guided surgery of brain and head and neck cancer and other interventions. This research is performed in collaboration with neuro- and head and neck surgeons at UC Davis Health as well as industry partners.

Objectives:

Contribute to the development of new analytical methods and/or the application of machine learning methods including deep learning AI to support data analysis and visualization of fluorescence lifetime data acquired in the clinical setting (classification, motion correction, segmentation)
Facilitate the integration of optical technologies with existing surgical instrumentation, such as Da Vinci surgical robot, surgical microscope, and Brainlab surgical navigation systems
Explore new data visualization methods for surgical use based on augmented reality (head-mounted display)
Work in collaboration with clinical departments within the UC Davis School of Medicine including Neurological Surgery and Head and Neck Surgery) as well as industry partners
The initial appointment is for two years with the potential for extension depending on the performance
The successful candidates will work on National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded multidisciplinary projects focused on research, development, and clinical translation of optical techniques for in-vivo diagnosis of human diseases

Qualifications: Candidates must have a Ph.D. degree and strong background in statistical methods, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data visualization. Proficiency in coding using MATLAB, Python, and C++ is needed.

Intravascular Imaging

Status: Open

Description: A postdoctoral research position is open for applicants with experimental research experience in biomedical optics. The successful candidate will work in a highly collaborative research environment focused on the development of optical technology for cardiovascular diagnostics. The position will involve a collaborative project between Biophotonics Laboratory (https://marculab.bme.ucdavis.edu/) at the University of California Davis (Department of Biomedical Engineering) and the Center for Biomedical OCT Research and Translation, Massachusetts General Hospital (https://octresearch.org/). We are looking for highly motivated individuals with an interest in research and applications of optical spectroscopy and imaging to support the development and clinical validation of hybrid optical imaging techniques for interventional cardiology.

Objectives:

Contribute to the development of multimodal fluorescence lifetime imaging and polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography instrumentation including intravascular catheters and endoscopes
Develop software and methods for instrument control and data acquisition
Develop software and methods for data analysis and visualization
Work in collaboration with the clinical departments including cardiology within the UC Davis School of Medicine as well as academic partners
Provide support for regulatory activities related to the clinical translation by generating documentation and test data
The initial appointment is for two years with the potential for extension depending on performance
The successful candidates will work on National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded multidisciplinary projects focused on research, development, and clinical translation of optical techniques for in-vivo diagnosis of human diseases

Qualifications: Candidates must have a Ph.D. degree and strong background in optical technologies using lasers, optical coherence tomography (OCT), spectroscopic instruments, optical fibers, solid state detectors, endoscopy, and micro-optics as well as experience related to the processing of OCT imaging data. Proficiency in coding using MATLAB/LabView is needed. Prior experience with regulatory compliance is highly valued.

Quantitative Imaging of Atherosclerosis

Status: Open

Description: A postdoctoral research position is open for applicants with experimental research experience in vascular biology and microscopy/ imaging. The successful candidate will work in a highly collaborative research environment focused on the clinical translation of optical technology for cardiovascular diagnostics. The position will involve a collaborative project between Biophotonics Laboratory (https://marculab.bme.ucdavis.edu/) at the University of California Davis (Department of Biomedical Engineering) and the Center for Biomedical OCT Research and Translation, Massachusetts General Hospital (https://octresearch.org/). We are looking for highly motivated individuals interested in research and applications of optical spectroscopy and imaging to support the development and clinical validation of hybrid optical imaging techniques for interventional cardiology.

Objectives:

Investigate the ability of fluorescence lifetime imaging and polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography to detect and quantify plaque composition and features
Collect imaging data obtained from intravascular imaging devices and microscopes (FLIm, SHG)
Develop and implement image analysis methods to correlate imaging parameters with histology-derived information.
Work in collaboration with clinical departments including cardiology within the UC Davis School of Medicine, pathology research labs, imaging research labs
The initial appointment is for two years with the potential for extension depending upon performance.
The successful candidates will work on National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded multidisciplinary projects focused on research, development, and clinical translation of optical techniques for in-vivo diagnosis of human diseases

Qualifications: Candidates must have a Ph.D. degree and strong background in vascular biology. Experience with microscopy or intravascular imaging systems operation and image analysis is needed. Experience in coding using MATLAB/Python is highly valued.