Post - doctoral Fellow, Chemical And Biological Engineering

Post Doctoral Fellow

We welcome applications to join us as a Post Doctoral Fellow in the Kumar Biomaterials Lab at the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at the Colorado School of Mines.

The Kumar biomaterials lab at the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Colorado School of Mines (Mines) is seeking a highly driven postdoctoral research associate. We are looking for someone with a strong track record of excellence in research and mentorship to work on an NIGMS funded project. The candidate will synthesize cell culture substrates based on ligand-modified polymer brushes and mapping how spatial presentation of biochemical cues influences macrophage fate. The successful candidate will have the chance to work in a young, dynamic, collaborative lab in a supportive environment that nurtures trainees' scientific potential and promotes excellence and team science.

Trainees have won 21 awards (including nationally competitive scholarships such as NSF GRFP, Goldwater, Beckman, and Amgen) in the last 3 years. The PI is fully committed to helping postdocs fulfill their career goals in academia and obtain independent faculty positions at the end of their training. We welcome trainees from all non-traditional backgrounds. We are proud of a culture where everyone, irrespective of gender identity, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, caste, national origin, religious affiliation, and socioeconomic status, can thrive and grow.

Macrophage polarization plays important roles in wound healing, inflammation, and cancer progression. This project uses polymer brushes—ultra-thin polymer coatings made by grafting polymers from substrates—to present ligands in controlled spatial patterns and study how macrophages respond to changes in ligand presentation and chemical identity. The postdoc will synthesize polymer brushes functionalized with different glycan-based ligands and interrogate how ligand identity, density, and spatial presentation influence macrophage polarization and phenotypic expression.

Responsibilities and Duties include: synthesizing and characterizing glycopolymer brushes, using surface analytical techniques such as XPS, ellipsometry, and AFM, culturing macrophages on cell culture substrates based on polymer brushes, applying ELISA, scRNAseq, advanced imaging methods to characterize macrophage phenotypes, data analysis, and maintaining careful lab notebook records, and data management. Additionally, the postdoc will present findings at lab meetings and conferences, prepare manuscripts for publication, prepare progress reports, and mentor students and handle lab management tasks.

Minimum qualifications include: a Ph.D. in Chemistry, Materials Science, Chemical Engineering, Biotechnology, Biomedical Engineering, Biology, or Polymer Science, earned at a research-intensive university, deep expertise in either glycopolymer synthesis or in macrophage biology, extensive experience troubleshooting cellular and biological assays, a track record of research excellence demonstrated through peer-reviewed publications in top-tier specialist journals, strong letters indicating candidates' ability to ideate research directions independently, work hard, respond constructively to feedback, and work harmoniously in a diverse team, leadership and problem-solving, interpersonal skills and emotional maturity for interdisciplinary work, inter-lab collaboration, and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students at Mines. Cultural intelligence is a must-have. Excellent written and oral communication skills and a deep desire to improve these continually.

Desired qualifications include: expertise in macrophage culture, polarization, and characterization; expertise in carbohydrate chemistry, glycomonomers synthesis, glycopolymer synthesis, bioconjugation, post-polymerization modification; at least 3 years' experience in mammalian cell culture; quantitative confocal fluorescence microscopy; acquiring and analyzing scRNAseq data.

Terms of employment include: initial appointment for 1 year, with the possibility of extension to 3 years total, commitment to staying in the position for at least 2-3 years, start date: Jan 2026, NIH-budgeted salary and fringe benefits including Mines-subsidized health care and employer contributions to a retirement fund, a small amount may be provided for reasonable moving expenses subject to budget constraints.

The lab is committed to maintaining research integrity by performing rigorous and reproducible research. Research misconduct will result in immediate investigation and swift termination of employment if found guilty. There is zero tolerance for sexual harassment, bullying, and discriminatory behavior. Disrespectful, intimidatory, and aggressive behaviors that threaten the safety and well-being of lab and departmental colleagues will invite immediate investigation and swift termination of employment.

Salary rate: $64,000. Mines takes into consideration a combination of candidate's education, training and experience as well as the position's scope and complexity, the discretion and latitude required in the role, work location, and external market and internal value when determining a salary level for potential new employees.

Colorado School of Mines offers a robust portfolio of benefits for all employees. For this role, that includes: flexible health and dental care options, generous sick/vacation time: 13 paid holidays per year – including a week-long winter break for entire campus, fully vested retirement plan on first day of employment, with generous employer contribution, tuition benefits, free RTD Ecopass, and access to discount programs through the State of Colorado and free tickets for Mines Athletics home games, as well as access to the state of the art Recreation Center (fitness classes and training, swimming pool and more) and equipment rentals through the Outdoor Rec Center. We are proud to have recently opened an on-campus daycare center. For more details about benefits at Mines, visit mines.edu/human-resources/benefits.

Applications will be reviewed until the position is filled. Please read carefully - Applications that do not comply with instructions will not be reviewed. Applicants must:

• Complete an online application (personal information, demographic information, veteran status)
• Include CV, 1-page cover letter describing why you want this position, three of your best first-author papers, and contact information for three references. Combine in a single application pdf. Do not send word files or any other file type. Do not send multiple pdfs.
• References will be contacted only for the finalists. Do NOT include letters of recommendation.
• Email application to ramyakumar@mines.edu with the subject "MIRA postdoc applicant". If subject does not match this exactly, the email will be filed as junk.
• Do NOT include personal photographs or research figures in application.
• Do NOT contact the PI (Prof. Ramya Kumar) in any other manner.
• After preliminary zoom interviews, 3 finalists will be invited for a final round of interviews.

Contact Kathleen Feighny in HR at kfeighny@mines.edu with any questions.

It is the intent of Mines to comply with the applicable requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008, and their implementation rules and regulations, in support of equal opportunities for qualified applicants with disabilities. To meet this goal, Mines will make reasonable accommodations during the employment selection process and within our working environment.

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you may request a reasonable accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to access job openings or apply for a job on our site as a result of your disability. You can request a reasonable accommodation by contacting our Human Resources team at hr@mines.edu or 303.273.3250 for assistance.

Successful completion of a background investigation is required for this position. This posting may be used to fill multiple openings.

When the world looks for answers, the world looks to Mines.

Colorado School of Mines is a top-ranked public university solving the grand challenges facing our society, particularly those related to the Earth, energy and the environment. Founded in 1874 with specialties in mining and metallurgy, Mines' scope and mission have continually expanded to meet the needs of industry and society. Today, we are the No. 36 public university in the nation, recognized for our innovation and undergraduate teaching in science, technology engineering and math (U.S. News and World Report, 2025).

Mines graduates are change makers, boundary breakers and problem solvers. Since our earliest days, a Mines education has been and continues to be a transformational opportunity, with one of the strongest returns on investment out there for talented STEM students of all backgrounds.

At the same time, Mines faculty members are pushing their fields in new directions, whether that's manufacturing, space resources, quantum engineering, carbon capture or more. Mines was recently classified as a R1 "Very High Activity" research institution by Carnegie, a notable feat for any university but particularly one of our size.

That size – roughly 7,000 undergraduate and graduate students – also translates to a close-knit campus community, where employees have opportunities to get involved in multiple ways, continued professional learning is valued and everyone can make an impact.

Community Alliance groups bring together employees for professional development, networking, cultural awareness and community involvement, and all Mines employees also have access to the wealth of activities happening every day on campus – nationally-renowned speakers, special events and Mines traditions like Engineering Days, just to name a few.

And don't get us started on our hometown. We are located in the heart of Golden, Colorado --