Dr. Mathias Unberath and Dr. Axel Krieger are seeking highly motivated postdoctoral scholars to join their joint research work at Johns Hopkins University in 2026. This collaborative position offers the opportunity to work directly with both the ARCADE Lab (led by Dr. Unberath) and the IMERSE Lab (led by Dr. Krieger), alongside their respective lab members.
The joint research focuses on advancing automation in surgery by developing intelligent systems capable of performing complex surgical tasks and procedures. This work is primarily conducted at the Homewood Campus in Baltimore. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in Robotics and Computer Science, with specific interest or expertise in robot policy, imitation learning, and vision-language models (VLMs).
Applicants with strong credentials and motivation should still apply even if they lack these specific qualifications. These are full-time positions with an initial appointment duration of 12 months, and the possibility of further extension based on performance and funding.
PhD in Computer Science, Robotics, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field.
Strong publication record in peer-reviewed venues (e.g., CVPR, ICCV, ECCV, ICRA, IROS, CoRL, MICCAI, IPCAI, Science Robotics, or Nature) relevant to robotics or AI.
Demonstrated experience with robotic platforms (e.g., dVRK, KUKA, or custom robotic arms) and ROS/ROS2.
Proven track record of automating physical tasks involving flexible materials or biological tissues.
High proficiency in Python and deep learning frameworks (e.g., PyTorch).
Excellent teamwork skills for working in an interdisciplinary environment involving engineers, computer scientists, and clinicians.
Technical expertise in Robot Policy and Imitation Learning.
Proficiency in designing and implementing computational models for robotic control.
Strong understanding of VLMs and Computer Vision techniques.
Ability to work effectively in a highly collaborative, multi-lab environment.
Experience with surgical data science or medical robotics is a significant advantage.
Ability to lead research projects independently from concept to implementation.
Capability to formulate research methodologies and manage project timelin
Salary: $63,500 - $75,000 per year
Applicants should submit a curriculum vitae, a research statement, and at least one letter of reference. Please also indicate your earliest possible start date.
Salary Range
The referenced salary range represents the minimum and maximum salaries for this position and is based on Johns Hopkins University's good faith belief at the time of posting. Not all candidates will be eligible for the upper end of the salary range. The actual compensation offered to the selected candidate may vary and will ultimately depend on multiple factors, which may include the successful candidate's geographic location, skills, work experience, internal equity, market conditions, education/training and other factors, as reasonably determined by the University.
Total Rewards
Johns Hopkins offers a total rewards package that supports our employees' health, life, career and retirement. More information can be found here: https://hr.jhu.edu/benefits-worklife/.
Equal Opportunity Employer
The Johns Hopkins University is committed to equal opportunity for its faculty, staff, and students. To that end, the university does not discriminate on the basis of sex, gender, marital status, pregnancy, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status or other legally protected characteristic. The university is committed to providing qualified individuals access to all academic and employment programs, benefits and activities on the basis of demonstrated ability, performance and merit without regard to personal factors that are irrelevant to the program involved.
Pre-Employment Information
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Background Checks
The successful candidate(s) for this position will be subject to a pre-employment background check including education verification.
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Vaccine Requirements
Johns Hopkins University strongly encourages, but no longer requires, at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. The COVID-19 vaccine does not apply to positions located in the State of Florida. We still require all faculty, staff, and students to receive the seasonal flu vaccine (https://covidinfo.jhu.edu/health-safety/flu-vaccine-policy/) . Exceptions to the COVID and flu vaccine requirements may be provided to individuals for religious beliefs or medical reasons. Requests for an exception must be submitted to the JHU vaccination registry. This change does not apply to the School of Medicine (SOM). SOM hires must be fully vaccinated with an FDA COVID-19 vaccination and provide proof of vaccination status. For additional information, applicants for SOM positions should visit https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccine/ and all other JHU applicants should visit https://covidinfo.jhu.edu/health-safety/covid-vaccination-information/.
The following additional vaccine requirements may apply, depending upon your campus. Please contact the hiring department for more information. The pre-employment physical for positions in clinical areas, laboratories, working with research subjects, or involving community contact requires documentation of immune status against Rubella (German measles), Rubeola (Measles), Mumps, Varicella (chickenpox), Hepatitis B and documentation of having received the Tdap (Tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) vaccination. This may include documentation of having two (2) MMR vaccines; two (2) Varicella vaccines; or antibody status to these diseases from laboratory testing. Blood tests for immunities to these diseases are ordinarily included in the pre-employment physical exam except for those employees who provide results of blood tests or immunization documentation from their own health care providers. Any vaccinations required for these diseases will be given at no cost in our Occupational Health office.
Job Type: Full Time
