Openings

We are recruiting highly motivated PhD students and postdocs (via the STAR T32) interested in drug, gene, and cell delivery research at the University of Utah College of Pharmacy in Salt Lake City.

Our lab focuses on the synthesis and formulation of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), nucleic acid delivery, and immunoengineering. Students who are excited about molecular pharmaceutics, RNA therapeutics, or biomaterials are encouraged to reach out.

Research Opportunities

  • PhD (Gene Delivery/Immunoengineering):
    • Molecular Pharmaceutics

  • STAR T32 (NIH) Post-doctoral Fellowship

    The University of Utah STARS T32 Predoctoral and Postdoctoral programs have opened applications for interested and eligible applicants with an anticipated start date of July 1, 2026 (contingent upon the receipt of NIH funding).

    Application due dates: Postdoctoral program application and required materials
    due by [February 9th, 2026, 11:59 pm MST]

Preferred Backgrounds

Students with relevant research training, track record, and a STRONG INTEREST in pharmaceutics, bioengineering, molecular biology, biochemistry, chemistry, pharmaceutical sciences, or closely related fields are welcome.

Why is this important (for prospective students)?

You should do what you love in research and feel motivated by the research topic/field; a good PhD thesis takes 5 years to complete and requires long-term commitment, best driven by your interest/passion in achieving your career goals.

If you have prior experience in what we do, that’s great! If you don’t, no worries, as long as you’re motivated to learn, we teach you everything hands-on.

How to Reach Us

To inquire about openings, email Dr. Mei (kc dot mei at pharm dot utah dot edu) with:

  • A CV (publication record required for PhD/postdoc)

  • A transcript

  • A brief statement of your “research interests” & “career goals” explaining fitness to the lab (cover letter)