We are always looking for highly motivated post-docs interested in furthering their careers in academia as well as developing new skills for transition into industry. If you are interested in a post-doc position, we recommend this guide:

1. Email Prof. Fan with the subject line “Post-doc Application: [your name]”. Include in the body of the email:
   • A few sentences about who you are, where you are currently studying / what you are currently working on, and why you are interested in this lab. This serves as your ‘cover letter.’
   • A copy of your CV (with the filename as [your last name]_[your first name]_CV.pdf)
   • Optional: The following filled out Individual Development Plan (IDP) interview form
   • Contact information (both email and phone number) for 2 to 4 references
     If Prof. Fan does not respond within a week, candidates are highly encouraged to followup and email again.
     
     

2. If we like your application, we will set up a time for a video conference call. This will take 30 minutes to an hour. At this stage, Prof. Fan will also reach out directly to your references.

3. If we think you may be a good fit, we will invite you out for an on-site interview. The on-site interview will likely take up an entire day. It will involve an hour presentation in addition to one-on-one discussions with Prof. Fan as well as others in the department, including faculty, post-docs, as well as graduate students and even undergraduate students. The purpose of this visit is to assess fit. Not every post-doc, no matter how talented, will be the best fit in every lab. You should also take this visit as an opportunity to assess whether you will be able to be happy and productive in this lab for the next few years of your life.

4. Finally, Prof. Fan will solicit feedback from everyone you spoke with. She will then reach out with an offer or encourage you to keep looking. We will work with you to discuss the terms of your hire, including salary, benefits, professional development opportunities, and anything else you may need to be successful here and through your career trajectory.

Successful computational post-doc applicants will have:

• a PhD in a biological, computational, or statistics-related field
• Fluency in at least one of the following programming languages: R, Python, C++, Javascript
• At least two first author or co-first author papers with submitted, accepted, or published status in peer-reviewed journals
• Created least one open-source software package or resource

Successful experimental post-doc applicants will have:

• a PhD in a biological field
• Experience with tissue culture, library preparation, and single-cell sequencing
• At least two first author or co-first author papers with submitted, accepted, or published status in peer-reviewed journals
• Familiarity with at least one of the following programming languages: R, Python, C++, Javascript
• Strong interest in learning and developing computational skills

Exceptions are always considered for highly motivated and phenomenal applicants!

Please see our Lab Policy page on Transparency in Resource Allocation regarding compensation and benefits.

We accept current PhD rotation students in Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, and Neuroscience at Johns Hopkins University. We may also accept current PhD rotation students from other departments at Johns Hopkins University. We are generally unable to accept PhD students directly without a rotation (a brief period of around 2 to 3 months in which a student works full time on a small project in a lab to get a sense for the lab’s working environment and research direction). If you are interested in rotating in this lab, we recommend this guide:

1. Email Prof. Fan with the subject line “PhD Rotation Application: [your name]”. Include in the body of the email:
   • A few sentences about who you are and why you are interested in this lab. This serves as your ‘cover letter.’
   • A copy of your CV (with the filename as [your last name]_[your first name]_CV.pdf)
     If Prof. Fan does not respond within a week, candidates are highly encouraged to followup and email again.
     
     

2. If we like your application, we will reach out and set up a time for an on-site visit. The on-site visit will take 30 minutes to an hour and will allow you to see the lab space, and have one-on-one discussions with Prof. Fan as well as others in the lab including post-docs, graduate students and other undergraduate students to give you a better sense of who you may be working with.

3. Finally, Prof. Fan will solicit feedback from everyone you spoke with. She will then reach out with an offer or encourage you to keep looking. She will also provide a proposed onboarding date, rotation project, and background reading so that you can hit the ground running.

4. Successful rotation students will be formally hired at the end of their rotation to continue in the lab as graduate students. We will work with you to discuss thesis projects, professional development opportunities, and anything else you may need to be successful here and through your career trajectory.

Successful applicants will have:

• a BS or BA in a biological, computational, or statistics-related field
• Experience with at least one of the following programming languages: R, Python, C++, Javascript

Exceptions are always considered for highly motivated and phenomenal applicants!

We currently do not have the bandwidth to mentor Master’s students.

We are unable to accept prospective PhD or Master’s students directly. Prospective PhD and Master’s students should apply formally through the Johns Hopkins University graduate admissions portal. Prospective PhD and Master’s student are encouraged to email Prof. Fan with the subject line “Prospective PhD student: [your name]” or “Prospective Master’s student: [your name]” along with a copy of your CV (with the filename as [your last name]_[your first name]_CV.pdf) to help increase the likelihood that the appropriate recruitment commitee members will see your application.

Due to the large number of prospective students, we are currently unable to reply to all emails. Please feel free to reach out and follow up to express your interest.

We welcome current undergraduate students at Johns Hopkins University throughout the school year either as a part of Independent Research (credited course), Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) programs, the SMILE work-study program, and stipend-based compensated research experiences. Undergraduate research assistants will be provided with a fixed stipend for part-time 16-week work for each semester or full-time 8-week work during the summer. Provided stipends start at $4200 and increases depending on previous computational research experience.

Due to the large number of undergraduate students applying, we are currently unable to reply to all emails. Please feel free to reach out and follow up to express your interest and we will reach out to you as positions becomes available.

If you are interested in applying as an undergraduate research assistant, we recommend this guide:

1. Email Prof. Fan with the subject line “Undergrad RA Application: [your name]”. Include in the body of the email:
   • A few sentences about who you are, your major, your intended level of time commitment, and why you are interested in this lab. This serves as your ‘cover letter.’
   • A copy of your CV (with file name as [your last name]_[your first name]_CV.pdf). This should include your work experience if any, relevant courses with grades, overall GPA, awards, extracurriculars/hobbies, and other skills.
     
     

2. If we like your application, we will reach out and set up a time for an on-site visit. The on-site visit will take 1 to 2 hours and will allow you to see the lab space, and have one-on-one discussions with Prof. Fan as well as others in the lab including post-docs, graduate students and other undergraduate students to give you a better sense of who you may be working with.

3. Finally, Prof. Fan will solicit feedback from everyone you spoke with. She will then reach out with an offer or encourage you to keep looking. She will also provide a proposed onboarding date, rotation project, and background reading so that you can hit the ground running.

Successful applicants will have:

• Taken courses in computer science, statistics, and biology
• Experience with at least one of the following programming languages: Javascript, HTML, CSS, R, Python
• Strong interest in applying to the Provost’s Undergraduate Research Award for Freshmen, Sophomores, and Juniors, and the NSF Graduate Research Fellowships Program (GRFP) for Seniors.

Exceptions are always considered for highly motivated and phenomenal applicants!

We currently do not have the bandwidth to mentor highschool students. Highschool students interested in ‘getting their feet wet’ in bioinformatics research are encouraged to apply to the Immersive Summer Program for Education, Enrichment, and Distinction (ISPEED) in Biomedical Engineering instead.