Nance Lab
Disease-Directed Engineering
Current Available Positions
​​
UPDATED: February 11, 2026 - our lab has been directly impacted by disruptions to funding at the federal level at NIH, NSF, and DoD. We are regularly updating our available positions, but at this time we have no opportunities for undergraduates, visiting scientists, or high school students.
​
Graduate: PhD applications for a start date of Fall 2026 are closed. Dr. Nance is currently reviewing applicants and will email prospective PhD students to schedule 1:1 interviews. The lab will be direct admitting 1 student from the ChemE PhD program for a start in Fall 2026.
MS student applications are rolling and the lab will be recruiting MS thesis students for a Fall 2026 start date. Projects will be discussed in Fall 2026 upon starting as a full-time enrolled student at UW.
​
MSTP (MD/PhD) interviews are currently taking place via the MSTP program, and if you are an prospective MSTP student who is interviewing, you will have a 1:1 interview with Dr. Nance. If you are a current MSTP student interested in joining the lab for your PhD, please email Dr. Nance directly at eanance@uw.edu
​
Postdoctoral: We do currently have postdoc positions available. When positins are availalbe, we recruit via the Invent @ Seattle Children's program. Please review the eligibility criteria and the requirements for the application process for Invent@SC: https://www.seattlechildrens.org/research/research-institute/careers/invent-at-seattle-childrens/ Submit your application through Invent@SC's application process to be considered.
​
Undergraduates: We have two positions available at this time - the project descriptions are provided below, but prior to applying, please read the expectations for undergraduate at the bottom of this page.
Position for Engineering students:
Project: Evaluating neonatal brain injury model accuracy using fluid modeling
APPLICATION LINK: https://forms.gle/9cZP33U8Wiha73yQA
Project Description: Organotypic whole-hemisphere (OWH) brain slice model developed in our lab maintains cellular architecture and function. The OWH platform allows us to study the cellular mechanisms and response to neonatal hypoxic-ischemic (HI) conditions in lower- and middle-income countries (LMIC) settings. In LMIC settings, neonates experiencing HI are also observed having greater white matter injury (WMI) compared to neonates with HI in higher income settings. Currently, the mechanisms underpinning WMI have yet to be elucidated. This lack of understanding of WMI has introduced barriers to effectively screening therapies and developing treatments for neonates. To effectively screen therapeutics, an appropriate model needs to be developed to recreate the same cellular environment. Prior work in the Nance Lab has developed an ex vivo ferret OWH brain slice model of oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD) for recreating the conditions of the neonatal brain to screen therapeutics. Refining that model for WMI requires modeling gas diffusion and reperfusion in the brain tissue to ensure environmental factors adequately resembling in utero conditions are met in the OGD platform. Using the Nance Lab’s OWH platform, you will learn how to collect and maintain OWH brain slices, induce OGD to recreate the conditions in LMIC HI injuries, and analyze assay data to understand ways to optimize the injury model. You will be able to model gas diffusion in the model system, develop data management skills, and communicate science effectively. In addition to those skills, you will learn how to probe and develop novel scientific questions that spring from your work in white matter analysis.
​
Project Techniques: preparation and maintenance of mammalian tissues cultures in different animal species (OWH brain slices), aseptic technique, implementing injury models, modeling gas diffusion, immunofluorescence staining, confocal microscopy, imaging data analysis
​
Skills Development: experimental design and planning, data analysis, science communication, scientific writing, time and project management
​
Position for non-Engineering students:
Project: Evaluating the response in cellular development to neonatal brain injury using transcriptomics
APPLICATION LINK: https://new.expo.uw.edu/expo/opportunities/3402
Project Description: Organotypic whole-hemisphere (OWH) brain slice model developed in our lab maintains cellular architecture and function. The OWH platform allows us to study the cellular mechanisms and response to neonatal hypoxic-ischemic (HI) conditions in lower- and middle-income countries (LMIC) settings. In LMIC settings, neonates experiencing HI are also observed having greater white matter injury (WMI) compared to neonates with HI in higher income settings. Currently, the mechanisms underpinning WMI have yet to be elucidated. This lack of understanding of WMI has introduced barriers to effectively screening therapies and developing treatments for neonates. The cell predominantly found in the white matter is the oligodendrocyte. Oligodendrocytes play a critical role in neuronal support and myelination in the brain. Understanding their maturation from an oligodendrocyte precursor cell (OPC) to a mature oligodendrocyte (mOL) could provide context as to how this cell development process is altered in cases of WMI. Prior work in the Nance Lab has developed an ex vivo ferret OWH brain slice model of oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD) for recreating the conditions of the neonatal brain to screen therapeutics. Immunofluorescent imaging of these OWH brain slices allows us to observe region-specific cellular response to therapeutics and injury conditions. Using the techniques, you will learn how to collect and maintain OWH brain slices, induce OGD to recreate the conditions in LMIC HI injuries, and understand cellular response in the white matter of the brain. You will be able to analyze images of oligodendrocyte among other brain cells, develop data management skills, and communicate science effectively. In addition to those skills, you will learn how to probe and develop novel scientific questions that spring from your work in white matter analysis.
​
Project Techniques: preparation and maintenance of mammalian tissues cultures in different animal species (OWH brain slices), aseptic technique, implementing injury models, transcriptomics, immunofluorescence staining, confocal microscopy, imaging data analysis
​
Skills Development: experimental design and planning, data analysis, science communication, scientific writing, time and project management
​​
High School students: We do not have positions at this time, and are assessing our ability to run our high school summer program
Joining Our Team
We look for hard-working, independent, and creative individuals who are passionate about finding ways to better our understanding of, and our technology for, treating complex diseases, specifically those in the brain.
We work as a close-knit team to address the challenging needs of treating neurological diseases. Our work includes individuals from diverse backgrounds and expertise, including in chemical engineering, biomedical engineering, materials science, biochemistry, molecular and cell biology, pediatrics, neurology, infectious disease, physiology and radiology. We collaborate extensively with the clinicians in these medical fields. Individuals who join our lab must be dedicated to continual learning, and to skill development in technical expertise and strong communication.
Postdoctoral Fellows and Technicians
For postdoctoral applicants, we are looking for dedicated individuals who have an interest in developing therapeutics for children, with backgrounds in non-cancer in vivo studies, neuroscience, or nanotechnology or biomaterials synthesis/formulation and applications.​
Doctoral and Master's Candidates
If you are interested in pursuing a Ph.D. or thesis M.S. at the University of Washington, please review our website to become familiar with our mission, prior publications, and current research. We accept graduate students from those individuals who have been accepted to chemical engineering, MolES, bioengineering, or one of the health sciences programs at UW.
​
If you apply, please make sure you describe in your application how your past academic, industry and/or research experiences fit with our lab’s mission and your future career goals. Please e-mail Prof. Nance to let her know you have applied, which department you applied to, and highlight your primary research interests.
Undergraduate Researchers
You do not need prior research experience or experience in our labs research areas of interest to join the Nance lab. Participating in research can give you an opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills you are learning in the classroom to important biological and clinical challenges. Research is challenging by definition; as such, we are looking for students who are self-starters, independent, and willing to explore uncharted territory, and who are willing to embrace failing (in a safe space!). Research opportunities are available on a volunteer or credit basis. Prof. Nance provides extensive support to students to secure research fellowships and scholarships. Please see our Personnel and Lab Alumni pages to get a sense of what scholarships and fellowships our undergraduate research members have received in past years.
Our general expectations for undergraduate researchers include:
-
Dedicating a minimum of three quarters (1 academic year) to work in the lab. During the academic year, classes are your top priority. These are challenging projects and three quarters will give you the time to dive in and make significant contributions to research. We prefer at least one summer of commitment if that is an option for you.
​​
-
No participation in undergraduate research in another lab.
​​
-
During the academic quarters, spending 8-10 hours per week (on average) working on research is critical. With bio-focused experimental research, experiments take time, although they can be organized into discreet time blocks. We know that classes, work, and other extracurricular activities keep your schedule busy. Ask yourself if you have time to responsibly dedicate to pursuing research.
​​
-
Participating in weekly meetings with your mentor, in weekly lab meetings (when your class schedule allows) and monthly working group meetings. You should come prepared to the 1:1 meetings and working group meetings to share your progress, discuss challenges, and help yourself and your peers with their research.
-
Participate in a yearly individualized development meeting with Prof. Nance and your graduate student mentor.
​​
-
Keeping clear documentation and an electronic or hard copy lab notebook, depending on your research area. Others will likely be building upon and learning from your work in the future. Thus it is important that everyone keeps clear notes (including comments in any computer code) so that you can easily share what you have done.
​
-
Writing a quarterly report summarizing your progress that quarter and your experimental plans for the next quarter. For those completing research for credit, this report will be used to provide a grade for your research credit.
​​
-
Defining clear goals and outcomes. We aim for everyone to produce a final report, abstract, or other publication based upon their project. We will work with you to help define these goals for your specific project and career goals!