The Columbia University Department of Systems Biology offers postdoctoral training opportunities for early career scientists interested in pursuing research in systems and computational biology. We enable young investigators to define a research focus, and to develop the skills necessary to lead innovative, integrative research projects.

Current postdoctoral career opportunities

Visit our list of faculty to find Department of Systems Biology laboratories that support postdoctoral fellows.

Our research environment

Our faculty of more than two dozen members has expertise in a diverse array of fields including network biology, gene regulation, structural biology, biochemistry and molecular biophysics, biomedical informatics, computer science, synthetic biology, cell biology, developmental biology, immunology, infectious diseases, applied mathematics, and other disciplines. And because Columbia University Medical Center is home to a large and robust biomedical research community, there are many opportunities to develop collaborations on projects related to human genetics, cancer, infectious diseases, metabolic disorders, neurodegenerative and psychiatric disease, stem cell biology, and regenerative medicine, among other fields. Learn more about our research.

Our postdoctoral researchers arrive with a wide range of interests. Some have trained in computational sciences such as mathematics, physics, and engineering. Others have backgrounds in experimental sciences like molecular biology, structural biology, chemistry, and genomics. Whatever your experience, you will join a dynamic, collaborative community of more than 250 members who use computational and experimental methods to study the structure and function of biological systems.

Technical resources

The Columbia University Department of Systems Biology maintains a state-of-the-art infrastructure for research in systems and computational biology. We manage the Columbia Genome Center, which has onsite facilities for next-generation sequencing, high-throughput screening, and high-content microscopy. Our Advanced Research Computing Services group also operates a high-performance computing environment that is among the world’s most powerful platforms dedicated to research in molecular and systems biology.

Columbia has been recognized as a leader in systems biology nationally. We are home to five centers of excellence in systems biology and computational biology, including the Center for Multiscale Analysis of Genomic and Cellular Networks (MAGNet). MAGNet is one of eight National Centers for Biomedical Computing, an accredited center within the National Cancer Institute’s Integrated Cancer Biology Program (ICBP), and one of 12 interdisciplinary Centers of Cancer Systems Biology. In addition, we have major center grants from the Library of Integrated Network-Based Cellular Signatures (LINCS), the Cancer Target Discovery and Development Center (CTD2), and the International Serious Adverse Event Consortium (iSAEC).

Compensation, benefits & support

Columbia offers competitive salaries for postdoctoral scientists, as well as benefits and a variety of other resources, including:

• health insurance for postdoctoral research scientists, and access to Columbia University insurance for postdoctoral research fellows
• dental insurance for all postdocs
• access to university housing close to campus (number of apartments is limited) and assistance finding off-campus housing
• vacation time and programs for supporting work/life balance
• resources to assist postdocs in identifying support for research, training, and publishing
• career development resources
• special assistance for international postdocs through the International Student and Scholars Office and International Affairs Office
• a Postdoctoral Community Council, Minority Postdoc Coalition, and community-building mailing lists and social media networks.

Please see the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs for more information about Columbia University’s policies and resources for postdocs.

Commitment to diversity

Columbia University encourages applications from qualified postdoctoral investigators of all backgrounds, regardless or race, gender, or sexual orientation, including those with disabilities or who come from disadvantaged economic situations.