Education / Postdoctoral Affairs

Postdoctoral Affairs

Pursue World Class Research Within a Close-Knit Community

Scientists have been making innovative discoveries at the University of Rochester Medical Center since George Hoyt Whipple, first dean of the Medical School and a Nobel Laureate, founded the institution in 1925. You will find that the excitement of discovery continues today in a community of scientists and clinicians working to improve world health.

The University of Rochester Medical Center offers many training opportunities for you to extend your research and enhance your knowledge and experience. Here you will know faculty and peers by name and you will work together based on interest and opportunity.

Research at URMC

Recognized as a leading research institution, the School of Medicine and Dentistry is ranked #32 by US News and World Report. The University of Rochester’s NIH ranking is #24.

During our last fiscal year, research faculty attracted external funding totaling approximately $316 million.
Our scientists rank among the top in the nation in several disciplines; top-15 rankings in NIH funding have been achieved in neurology, neurosurgery, obstetrics and gynecology, oral biology, pharmacology and physiology, public health and preventive medicine, and musculoskeletal research.
View a snapshot of our postdoctoral appointees

Major URMC Research Achievements

Creation of the vaccine against Haemophilus influenza b (Hib), eradicating a leading cause of meningitis among small children. The same "conjugate" vaccine technology was then used to create a vaccine against pneumococcal bacteria, which causes meningitis, ear infections, pneumonia, and other diseases. Half the vaccinations received by 6-month-old children across the nation are based on this technology.
Technology that led to a newly approved vaccine against cervical cancer. The vaccine, one of the first to prevent any type of cancer, targets several forms of human papillomavirus.
Discovery that a common medication used to treat headaches and seizures also prevents hot flashes. The finding led to discoveries about how the body creates hot flashes, spurring research into new ways to prevent them.
Development of lung surfactant to treat premature infants, dramatically improving the survival rate of the tiniest babies from 50 to 90 percent. The surfactant protects against major infectious disease threats, including leading the national effort to find a vaccine effective at preventing bird flu, and demonstrates that the smallpox vaccine could be diluted to protect more people if necessary.

Advanced Training for Tomorrow's Scientists

Postdoctoral Researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center:

Publish regularly in leading journals such as Science, Cell, and Nature Medicine, and are frequent contributors at the most prestigious scientific meetings in the world.
Network with other University and Medical Center researchers at cross-disciplinary events such as the Cancer Symposium and the Schmitt Symposium.
Go on to successful careers in academic or industry research, scientific industry management, technology transfer, university teaching positions, and more.

Our Facilities

Nearly $400 million has been invested in facilities and equipment in the last decade, with another $130 million slated to be invested in the next 3 years. The total research footprint is now more than 1 million square feet, space that is home to approximately 2,000 individual research projects. Click here to view our Shared Resource Laboratories & Facilities.

Unlike many large medical centers where facilities can be spread across a city, our basic science laboratories are just a short walk down the hallway from a major teaching hospital and outpatient facilities. This layout enables researchers and clinicians to work together in all steps of the research process, from the identification of a problem to its solution.