Finding a Postdoctoral Advisor

The first step in obtaining a postdoc appointment at UCSF is to identify a faculty member whose research program aligns with your research interests and fits your personal goals. Start by exploring the researcher profiles on UCSF Profiles. Also talk to your current PhD program mentors, who may have connections with researchers at UCSF, for recommendations.
Some, but not all, open postdoc positions at UCSF are posted on the jobs and opportunities board of UCSF's Office of Career and Professional Development. If you are coming to UCSF with your own funding, and your research is an excellent fit, a postdoc opening may even be created for you.
Once you have determined a lab you want to work in at UCSF, send a letter of interest and your CV directly to the PI. Postdocs are not hired through a central office at UCSF (or at most universities in the U.S.), but rather by individual labs and faculty members.

Follow up with an email or phone call if you do not hear back from the PI within a week or two.
If you are not a U.S. citizen, consult the UCSF International Students and Scholars Office for information about getting a visa and other considerations.
Before accepting a postdoc position, try to communicate with other postdocs in the lab separately from the PI and ask for their candid feedback on the culture in the lab. Is the PI supportive and available to postdocs? Is morale high or low? Do people get along? Have former postdocs from the lab been successful? Is the lab currently well-funded?

Search form