Program Directors: Melody Swartz and Maria-Luisa Alegre
6 postdoctoral slots
The Immunoengineering Postdoctoral Training (IMEPOST) Program at the University of Chicago trains the new generation of interdisciplinary scientists in immunology, bioengineering, science communication, and grant writing, equipping them to become the next generation of leading investigators. The 36 mentors from the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering (PME) and the Biological Sciences Division (BSD) combine their expertise in identifying the most critical challenges in immunology with the capabilities of an expanding cohort of bioengineers, who develop cutting-edge tools to advance the technical frontiers needed to address these challenges.
Particularly suitable for early-stage postdocs in their first two years of their tenure on campus, the program selects the most promising postdoctoral trainees from bioengineering and immunology backgrounds for a two-year program of collaborative research across the immunology-bioengineering interface. In the laboratory, the mentors have expertise in six major areas: Allergy, Autoimmunity, and Transplantation; Vaccines; Immuno-oncology; Cellular and Molecular Immunology; Computational and Systems Immunology; and Microbiome. Ongoing projects across the 36 participating PME and BSD laboratories seek to use unconventional approaches to deliver new insights to gaps in knowledge in immunology, therapies that correct immunologic dysfunction or loss-of-function, and also diagnostics to identify potential routes of intervention. The program also features monthly workshops on scientific communication and grant proposal writing, culminating in key deliverables, providing vital professional development to equip researchers with the skills required to succeed in today’s academic environment.