Lecturer of Cell Biology and Director of the Core for Imaging Technology & Education (CITE)
Harvard University
Application
Details
Posted: 11-Apr-26
Location: Cambridge, Massachusetts
Internal Number: 16168
School: Harvard Medical School
Position Description:
The Department of Cell Biology at Harvard Medical School (HMS) seeks an accomplished and collaborative scientist to serve as Lecturer of Cell Biology and Director of the Core for Imaging Technology & Education (CITE). The successful candidate will lead a state-of-the-art light microscopy core facility that provides advanced imaging expertise, training, and strategic scientific support to the HMS research community.
Key Responsibilities
Scientific Leadership, Training, and Research Support
Provide expert consultation and training to faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students on experimental design, sample preparation, acquisition strategies, quantitative imaging, data validation, and image analysis
Advise on imaging approaches across a wide range of biological and biomedical applications and specimen types, from single molecules to whole organisms
Stay current with advances in imaging and image analysis, and apply this knowledge to consultations and training offered by the core
Offer ongoing support to trained core users, including guidance as experiments evolve, troubleshooting, and interpretation of imaging data
Work to enhance rigor, reproducibility, and best practices in imaging experiments performed in the core
Support grant applications by advising on experimental design and providing expert letters of support
Classroom & Online Education
Design and deliver workshops on light microscopy theory, modern and emerging quantitative imaging techniques, and image analysis best practice for trainees and research scientists
Develop and contribute lectures and laboratory modules to HMS graduate programs
Create educational resources that promote technical rigor and experimental best practices in imaging experiments
Stay current with advances in imaging and image analysis, and translate relevant new methods into educational offerings for the local research community
Director of CITE
Direct operation and strategic development of a 16-instrument light microscopy facility, including widefield fluorescence, spinning disk confocal, laser scanning confocal, total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF), light sheet (diSPIM & lattice) and 3D structured illumination microscopy (SIM) systems
Evaluate and implement new technologies and instruments in the core, to maintain cutting-edge capabilities
Oversee maintenance and optimization of both commercial and custom-built imaging platforms
Serve as primary liaison with external microscope vendors to oversee system installation, performance optimization, maintenance, and technical issue resolution
Personnel & Mentorship
Recruit, supervise, and mentor core facility staff
Administration & Compliance
Ensure compliance with institutional and environmental health and safety regulations
Manage facility operations, budgeting, financial planning, and reporting
Oversee scheduling, billing, and user access systems
Strategic Development
Lead preparation of shared instrumentation and equipment grant proposals
Contribute to long-term planning for core growth and scientific impact
Salary and Benefits
This position is salaried and benefits eligible. Annual Salary Range: $125,000 – $175,000
With this appointment, you are represented by the Harvard Academic Workers (HAW) – UAW for purposes of collective bargaining and matters affecting your compensation and working conditions.
Basic Qualifications:
PhD in biology, physics, or a related discipline
Minimum 10 years of experience performing light microscopy experiments
Minimum 10 years of experience in advanced microscopy systems including widefield fluorescence, spinning disk confocal, laser scanning confocal, TIRF, structured illumination microscopy, and light sheet microscopy
Minimum 5 years of experience working with custom-built systems imaging systems.
Minimum 10 years of experience with commercial and open-source image acquisition and analysis software
Core facility or shared instrumentation environments
Demonstrated experience with quantitative microscopy applications including live specimen imaging, ratiometric imaging, spectral imaging, FRET, FRAP and single molecule tracking
Expertise in NIS-Elements for acquisition and analysis, MicroManager for microscope control, FIJI for image processing, and Python for scripting and automation
Demonstrated experience teaching light microscopy and/or image analysis to PhD-level research scientists in a formal classroom setting
Strong leadership, organizational, and communication skills
Experience organizing microscopy and image analysis workshops and courses.
Contact Information:
CITE Search Committee HMS – Dept. of Cell Biology 240 Longwood Ave. Boston, MA 02115
Contact Email: cbsearch@hms.harvard.edu
Equal Opportunity Employer:
Harvard has an equal employment opportunity policy that outlines our commitment to prohibiting discrimination on the basis of race, sex, ethnicity, color, national origin, religion, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law or identified in the university's non-discrimination policy.
Harvard University is devoted to excellence in teaching, learning, and research, and to developing leaders in many disciplines who make a difference globally. The University, which is based in Cambridge and Boston, Massachusetts, has an enrollment of over 20,000 degree candidates, including undergraduate, graduate, and professional students. Harvard has more than 360,000 alumni around the world. The University has twelve degree-granting Schools in addition to the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, offering a truly global education. Established in 1636, Harvard is the oldest institution of higher education in the United States.