Postdoctoral Scientist- Lim Lab

The Lim Lab at Princeton University is seeking an energetic, curious, and driven Postdoctoral Scientist to join our team. Dr. Ai Ing Lim studies how the immune systems of mothers and their children interact during reproduction and early life development. From pregnancy to lactation, a mother’s immune system undergoes dramatic changes to support the developing baby while maintaining her own health. Lim’s lab investigates how these immune shifts affect not just reproductive organs but also the broader physiology of the mother during and after reproduction. Lim also explores how maternal exposure to widespread environmental factors shapes the offspring’s immune development.

Our research places particular emphasis on host–microbe interactions at barrier tissues and during critical developmental and reproductive windows. By uncovering the maternal-offspring immune partnership, we aim to improve women’s reproductive health and optimize immune trajectories for future generations. For more information about our lab, visit .

As a Postdoctoral Scientist in the Lim Lab, you will have the opportunity to bring your ideas, creativity, and expertise to lead independent projects, and collaborate across disciplines. Ongoing and emerging directions include:

• Maternal immune adaptation across barrier tissues.

• Influence of pervasive maternal environmental exposures on offspring immunity.

• Comparative immunity in industrialized and traditional lifestyles.

• Development of non-human primate model to study maternal-offspring immunity.

Application Instructions
Please include the following items in one PDF as part of your application. Cover Letter MUST be included for full consideration.

• A cover letter including a summary of your research experience, along with which areas of emerging projects you are interested in from our list.

• Your curriculum vitae includes a list of publications.

• Names and contact information for at least 3 references.

What we provide :

• A highly collaborative and intellectually vibrant environment within Princeton’s Department of Molecular Biology.

• Access to cutting-edge technologies in immunology, microbiome science, barrier tissue biology, and molecular biology.

• Opportunities to develop independent research directions, write fellowships, and prepare for the next stage of your career.

• Mentorship tailored to your scientific and professional goals.

• Weekly one on one opportunities with Dr. Ai Ing Lim.

What you’ll do:

• Performs research and/or development in collaboration with others for projects.

• Makes detailed observations, analyzes data, and interprets results.

• Exercises technical discretion in the design, execution, and interpretation of experiments that contribute to project strategies.

• Prepares technical reports, summaries, protocols, and quantitative analyses.

• Maintains familiarity with current scientific literature.

• Contributes to project process within scientific discipline.

• Investigates, creates, and develops new methods/technologies for project advancement.

• Maintains high level of professional expertise through familiarity with scientific literature.

• May supervise the activities of other staff within the laboratory.

What you bring:

• PhD (or MD/PhD) in Immunology, Microbiology, Developmental Biology, or related fields.

• Strong publication record and evidence of creativity and independence.

• Enthusiasm for tackling complex biological questions and openness to interdisciplinary approaches.

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.

Physical Requirements

Remaining in a normal seated or standing position for extended periods of time; reaching and grasping by extending hand(s) or arm(s); dexterity to manipulate objects with fingers, for example using a keyboard; communication skills using the spoken word; ability to see and hear within normal parameters; ability to move about workspace. The position requires mobility, including the ability to move materials weighing up to several pounds (such as a laptop computer or tablet).

Persons with disabilities may be able to perform the essential duties of this position with reasonable accommodation. Requests for reasonable accommodation will be evaluated on an individual basis.

Please Note:

This job description sets forth the job’s principal duties, responsibilities, and requirements; it should not be construed as an exhaustive statement, however. Unless they begin with the word “may,” the Essential Duties and Responsibilities described above are “essential functions” of the job, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act.

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