Postdoctoral Scholar

US-OR-Portland

Requisition ID: 2026-38748
Position Category: Postdoctoral
Job Type: Postdoctoral
Posting Department: School of Dentistry, Dr. Carmem Pfeifer Lab
Posting Salary Range: Salary for this position aligns with the NIH scale, commensurate with qualifications and experience
Posting FTE: 1.00
Posting Schedule: Monday - Friday
Posting Hours: 8:00am - 5:00pm
HR Mission: Academics
Drug Testable: No

Department Overview

The School of Dentistry shares the mission of the Oregon Health & Science University to provide educational programs, basic and clinical research, and high quality care and community programs. We strive to foster an environment of mutual respect where the free exchange of ideas can flourish. The dental school prepares graduates in general dentistry and the dental specialties to deliver compassionate and ethical oro-facial health care.

The Pfeifer lab is a collaborative Research group within the School of Dentistry, Department of Biomaterial and Biomedical Sciences. The lab was established in 2011, and has been continuously supported by the NIH-National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, and others. We have a strong track record in the fields of Biomaterials and Polymer Chemistry, with over 150 publications and several full patents. Our focus is to develop materials solutions for use in healthcare applications (including oral) with a heavy emphasis at the interface with microbiology and host tissue interactions. We have been able to be successful in this quest thanks to a multi-disciplinary team of highly collaborative individuals, including materials scientists, clinicians, engineers, chemists and microbiologists. The work we do spans traditional materials science and cell biology.

Function/Duties of Position

The Pfeifer lab is seeking a Post-doctoral researcher/fellow to begin immediately. The successful candidate will be joining an enthusiastic and dynamic group. This position requires research performance consistent with the goals of the principal investigator, Carmem Pfeifer PhD. The lab is very active, with the opportunities to publish papers, submit grant proposals, present at technical meetings, and work with partners in industry and university / government. Previous lab members have gone on to pursue leadership roles in industry and academia, with many serving as R&D directors and independent PIs.

There are currently several areas of work within the lab which span within the broad field of biomaterials and include the following specific topic areas:

1. Design and synthesis of novel polymeric materials for dental and biomedical applications: the major project funded in the lab aims at harnessing ecological interactions within the oral biofilm and host enzyme derived degradation of the tooth substrate to develop novel restorative materials capable of withstanding the challenges posed by the use in the oral environment. These challenges include mechanical loading, bacteria-derived acid demineralization of the tooth, degradation of the material by salivary and bacteria-derived enzymes, as well as substrate degradation by water percolation and host metalloproteinases.

2. Test materials under physiological conditions in vitro: material resistance to degradation under physiologically-relevant conditions is the main focus of the development in the lab. Testing includes microbiology assays, mechanical testing and combinations thereof. Polymerization behavior is assessed with spectroscopic techniques, isolated or in tandem with mechanical testing.

The successful candidate will likely have deep expertise in a singular area of focus, but may also have worked as boundary spanners across multiple fields. This position requires a strong track record of scholarly activity, including high-quality peer-reviewed publications or other translational research activities. A Ph.D. in molecular biology, chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science, or a relevant field is required for this position. Experience in two or more of the following is required: molecular biology and microbiology assays, chemical synthesis of small molecules, liquid chromatography, bioconjugation reactions, nanoparticle synthesis and characterization, drug delivery, and small animal models. A record of collaborative research, or the potential for collaborative research, is a requirement for this position. This position will primarily work on Dr. Carmem Pfeifer's external grants. They should also have the potential to both lead and participate on team projects in Dr. Pfeifer's group. We are looking for a motivated individual, with the mindset of contributing to the group in a meaningful way. Career development training opportunities are plentiful at OHSU, and participation is highly encouraged by the PI. The lab is currently funded through FY 2028 (NIH-NIDCR 1R35-DE029083), and therefore, it is expected that the candidate will be able to be part of the group for at least 2-3 years.

Required Qualifications

• PhD in Materials Science and Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry or related field
• 3-4 years of laboratory-related experience
• Mechanical testing: universal testing machine (flexural strength, fracture toughness), dynamic mechanical analysis, rheology
• Spectroscopic techniques: IR and UV-Vis
• Manuscript writing experience
• Strong English language skills (writing and speaking) are required
• Must work independently
• Attention to detail and good record-keeping are essential.

Preferred Qualifications

• Grant writing experience
• MATLAB
• Additive manufacturing
• Workshop experience