Scholarship: Fully-funded
Degree: Bachelor, Master, Ph.D
Nationality: International Students
Location: USA
Application deadlines: Open
Scholarship Description:
Dr. Zhiliang Bai will officially join the MIT Department of Bioengineering as an Assistant Professor in January 2026 and become a core member of the Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research. With access to advanced research platforms and substantial startup funding at the Koch Center, Dr. Bai will establish an independent lab.
He earned his Bachelor’s degree in Measurement, Control Technology, and Instruments from Tianjin University in 2015, followed by a Ph.D. in Instrument Science and Technology in 2021. From 2018 to 2020, he conducted joint research in Professor Rong Fan’s lab at Yale University’s Biomedical Engineering Department, continuing as a postdoctoral researcher since then.
Dr. Bai has a unique interdisciplinary background, with research spanning electronic and optical engineering, mechanical engineering, immunology, molecular and cellular biology, genetics, biochemistry, and computational biology. He has published 26 high-impact papers in cancer immunotherapy, single-cell and spatial omics, microfluidic chips, ultrasound detection, and signal processing, including 13 as first or co-first author in top journals such as Nature (2 papers), Cell (cover), Science Advances, and Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology (cover). Several co-authored papers are currently under review at Nature and Nature Methods. He is also a principal inventor on three U.S. and international patents.
Dr. Bai’s academic contributions have been widely recognized, earning him awards like the Joan and Tom Steitz RNA Fellowship, SITC Young Investigator Award, and FOCIS Clinical Immunology Award. He serves as a reviewer for journals including Cell, Science, and Nature Cancer. Beyond academia, he has held positions such as Assistant to the President at Tianjin University and interned at the National Development and Reform Commission. He has received numerous accolades, including the National Scholarship and Tianjin University’s top honor, showcasing his leadership and communication skills.
Available Subjects:
- Postdoc Position 1: Systems Immunology and Cancer Biology
- Postdoc Position 2: Biochemistry and Genetics
- Visiting Student Positions: Artificial Intelligence and Digital Pathology
Eligibility criteria:
- 1. Postdoctoral Researcher: Salary starts at $71,000 (negotiable based on experience), with standard MIT postdoc benefits (see MIT Postdoc Benefits). The lab will fully support applications for various grants and encourage participation in international conferences such as AACR, SITC, and BMES to enhance academic networking and career development.
- 2. Visiting Students: Stipends provided based on research experience, ensuring systematic research training and support for first-author publications. Exceptional performance will lead to strong recommendations for applications to top global Ph.D. and postdoc programs.
Application Procedure:
Please send your cover letter (briefly introducing your research interests and career goals), CV (including a complete list of publications), and contact information for 2-3 references to [email protected].
All materials should be written in English. Please include the email subject as “Postdoc/Visiting Student Application + Current Institution + Name,” for example, “Postdoc Application + Yale University + Zhiliang Bai.”
