Open Positions
Apart from the open positions below, also spontaneous applications are welcomed! Send an email with a detailed CV, university transcripts, cover letter outlining motivation, experience, and qualifications and contact details of 2 references.
Postdoc position in the field of optical microscopy for measuring diffusion dynamics
Commitment & contract:
24 months (+12 renewable)
Location:
IIT CHT Erzelli, Genoa, Italy
Your role
You will be working in a multicultural and multi-disciplinary environment, where junior and senior scientists collaborate, each with their expertise, to carry out a scientific activity with a shared research goal. The Optical Investigation of Dynamical Systems research line was established in 2026 by Eli Slenders, following the award of an ERC starting grant. The research focuses on the development of optical microscopy systems for measuring molecular diffusion and biomechanical properties in biological systems. This includes designing custom-built optical microscopes, developing control software, and building data analysis pipelines to extract quantitative information from dynamic samples.
Within the research team, your main responsibilities will be:
- Design and implementation of a custom confocal laser scanning microscope, optimized for measuring molecular diffusion with fluorescence fluctuation spectroscopy (FFS) by combining pulsed excitation with state-of-the-art array detectors and photon time-tagging
- implementation of a data analysis framework for robust, autonomous, and real-time data evaluation for FFS
- Proof-of-principle FFS measurements on various test samples
- Support the supervision of a PhD student
Essential requirements
- A PhD in physics, biophysics, engineering or a related discipline
- Documented experience in aligning optical microscopes
- Strong publication record
- The ability to properly report, organize and publish research data
- The successful candidate should have good practice with teamwork and a problem-solving attitude.
- Good command of spoken and written English
Additional skills
- Strong motivation to contribute to the establishment and growth of a new research line
- Experience with programming in LabVIEW and/or Python
- Ability to work in a challenging and international environment
Compensation package
- A yearly gross salary of 35.000 EUR
- Private health care coverage depending on your role and contract
- Candidates from abroad or Italian citizens who have carried scientific research activity permanently abroad and meet specific requirements, may be entitled to a deduction from taxable income of up to 90% from 6 to 13 years.
This position is funded by the European Union through the ERC starting grant project Comprehensive Platform for Correlating Biomolecular Dynamics and Biomechanics with Multiscale Optical Spectroscopy (MotionPicture), No. 101219234.
Please submit your application using the online form and including a detailed CV, university transcripts, cover letter outlining motivation, experience, and qualifications and contact details of 2 references.
Application’s deadline: The position will remain open until filled.
Apply here.
Pre-Doctoral Position in the field of software engineering for the analysis of optical microscopy and spectroscopy data
Commitment & contract:
6 months
Location:
IIT CHT Erzelli, Genoa, Italy
Your role
You will be working in a multicultural and multi-disciplinary environment, where junior and senior scientists collaborate, each with their expertise, to carry out a scientific activity with a shared research goal.
The Optical Investigation of Dynamical Systems research line was established in 2026 by Eli Slenders, following the award of an ERC starting grant. The research focuses on the development of optical microscopy systems for measuring molecular diffusion and biomechanical properties in biological systems. This includes designing custom-built optical microscopes, developing control software, and building data analysis pipelines to extract quantitative information from dynamic samples.
This fellowship is a software-engineering role with a strong focus on scientific computing and reproducible open-source development. Within the research team, your main responsibilities will be:
- Development of a software framework for simulating realistic fluorescence fluctuation spectroscopy data (FFS)
- implementation of a data analysis framework for robust, autonomous, and real-time data evaluation for FFS
Essential requirements
- A Master’s degree in Computer Science, physics, mathematics, engineering or a related discipline
- Strong Python skills
- Experience with modern deep-learning architectures
- The ability to properly report, organize and publish research data
- The successful candidate should have good practice with teamwork and a problem-solving attitude.
- Good command of spoken and written English
Additional skills
- Strong motivation to contribute to the establishment and growth of a new research line
- Ability to work in a challenging and international environment
- Interest in optics and microscopy but no prior experience required
Compensation package
- Competitive salary package
This position is funded by the European Union through the ERC starting grant project Comprehensive Platform for Correlating Biomolecular Dynamics and Biomechanics with Multiscale Optical Spectroscopy (MotionPicture), No. 101219234.
Please submit your application using the online form and including a detailed CV, university transcripts, cover letter outlining motivation, experience, and qualifications and contact details of 2 references.
Application’s deadline: The position will remain open until March 31st, 2026.
To discover more about life at IIT, visit the dedicated section here: https://www.iit.it/en/work-at-iit
Apply here.