Research Assistant

This is a one-year fixed-term position exempt from the hiring freeze. Visa sponsorship is not available; candidates must be eligible to work and live in the U.S. This position is onsite at Stanford’s main campus.

About the Role

The Chemical Engineering department seeks a highly skilled professional to support and enhance Professor Zhenan Bao’s lab through advanced scientific research. The ideal candidate will be a well-rounded researcher with expertise across the entire research spectrum, including material and device fabrication, circuit design, system integration, and wearable biomedical applications. This role involves leading multidisciplinary projects to deliver transformative innovations in device technology while addressing real-world healthcare challenges.

Professor Bao’s research pioneers molecular design concepts and fabrication processes for skin-inspired electronics. Her group’s work includes a neuromorphic e-skin that senses force and temperature and communicates with the brain, a wireless wound-healing patch, soft NeuroString for neurochemical monitoring, and reconfigurable self-healing electronic skin. The lab focuses on advancing human-machine interfaces and healthcare solutions through organic electronics, stretchable devices, semiconductor fabrication, and system-level integration.

Responsibilities

• Independently conduct a portion of the research project(s), making recommendations on experimental design and research direction to the principal investigator.
• Conduct complex lab and/or field experiments to gather data for major research projects.
• Interpret and analyze results, often where few guidelines exist, and modify existing procedures and protocols.
• Develop new research protocols where appropriate protocols are not described in the literature or where modification of standard procedures is required.
• Participate in multidisciplinary teams across different faculties or schools.
• Perform ongoing literature reviews to remain current with new procedures and apply findings to research and protocol development.
• Contribute substantively to the preparation of papers for publication, especially in the results section, and to the publication of findings. Present ongoing work to colleagues and/or academic conferences.
• Oversee supply and equipment budgets under the supervision of the principal investigator or business manager.
• Work with the health and safety department to ensure lab compliance with regulations and all required trainings.
• Supervise staff or students as needed, including oversight and direction on techniques, as well as consultation on project work. Serve as a technical resource for other research staff.
• Oversee daily laboratory activities, including lab maintenance, stock management, chemical inventory and safety records, and general lab support. May assist with purchasing laboratory equipment.
• Frequently stand, walk, twist, bend, stoop, squat, grasp lightly or forcefully, perform desk-based computer tasks, use a telephone, write by hand, and lift, carry, push, or pull objects weighing over 50 pounds.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a related scientific field and two years of relevant work experience; or a Master’s degree in a related scientific field.
• Comprehensive understanding of scientific principles.
• General computer skills and ability to quickly learn and master computer programs, databases, and scientific applications.
• Strong analytical skills and excellent judgment.
• Ability to maintain detailed records of experiments and outcomes.
• Ability to work under deadlines with general guidance.
• Excellent organizational skills and demonstrated ability to accurately complete detailed work.

Pay

The budgeted base salary range for this position is $86,355 to $100,077 per annum.