Two fully funded PhD positions are available at the Physics of Life (PoL) in Dresden, Germany.

Scholarship: NIH scale
Degree: PhD, MD/PhD or MD
Nationality: International Students
Location: Germany
Application deadlines: Open


Scholarship Description:

The Cluster of Excellence PoL (https://physics-of-life.tu-dresden.de/) is an interdisciplinary research center at TU Dresden for quantitative biology and biophysics. It is funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and offers a wide range of support structures, including state-of-the-art light microscopy and advanced bio-image data science facilities in the outstanding Dresden environment. Dresden is a world-renowned international hub for biophysics and quantitative biology. TU Dresden is a member of TU9, a consortium of the nine leading German Institutes of Technology and one of eleven Excellence Universities in Germany.

Dr. Xingbo Yang leads a highly interdisciplinary lab at the interface of physics, biology and biochemistry that combines quantitative live cell imaging with biophysical modeling to study the Bioenergetics of Self-Organization in living systems, especially in oocytes and developing embryos (https://physics-of-life.tu-dresden.de/research/core-groups/yang). 

Dr. Xingbo Yang obtained his PhD in Physics at Syracuse University in 2015, with a research focus on soft condensed matter physics. From 2015 to 2017, he worked as a postdoc at Northwestern University on morphogenesis in embryo development. He then moved to Harvard University as a postdoctoral fellow in 2017 and worked on cell metabolism until 2022. Since February 2023, Dr. Xingbo Yang has joined PoL as a tenure-track group leader and leads the research group for Bioenergetics of Self-Organization.

 Available Subjects:

  • Potential projects include 1) metabolic flux partitioning and energetic costs in cells and 
  • 2) bioenergetics of spindle self-organization. 

Eligibility criteria:

  • You are expected to hold (or anticipate to receivebefore taking up the PhD thesis work) a master’s degree in a relevant field. 
  • Excellent communication skills in English are required.
  • Experience in light microscopy, computation and biophysical modeling will be considered positively. 
  • You will be admitted through the renowned international PhD program at Dresden International Graduate School for Biomedicine and Bioengineering (DIGS-BB). 
  • Details about potential projects and application information can be found at https://www.digs-bb.de/research/research-groups/xingbo-yang

Application Procedure:

Please contact Dr. Yang ([email protected]) if you are interested and attach a cover letter, your CV with a publication list (if any) and contact information for two referees. Potential applicants are encouraged to discuss their interests and background with Dr. Yang before a formal application is submitted.