Current Opportunities at Vanderbilt

The High Energy Nuclear Physics group at the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, is inviting applications for the postdoctoral position. Candidates should hold a Ph.D. in high-energy nuclear or particle physics and have demonstrated experience in data analysis/simulation/phenomenology studies and computational proficiency in C++ or Python. The Vanderbilt group is a member of the sPHENIX collaboration at RHIC (Brookhaven National Laboratory), the CMS collaboration at the LHC (CERN), the ePIC collaboration at the upcoming EIC, and the theory/experiment JETSCAPE/XSCAPE collaboration. The group, comprised of Profs. Vicki Greene, Julia Velkovska, Raghav Kunnawalkam Elayavalli, Yi Chen, and Jean-Francois Paquet have made significant contributions to the study of the quark-gluon plasma (QGP) with detailed investigations of collective phenomena, hydrodynamic flow, jet-medium interactions, and jet substructure. 

The successful applicant will work primarily with Prof. Yi Chen and her group, spending at least 50% of their time on the NSF-funded JETSCAPE/XSCAPE collaboration to work on cutting-edge global Bayesian analysis with heavy ion collision. Given the interest of the candidate, there are possibilities of the remaining time to spend on research with CMS, sPHENIX, ALEPH, ePIC performance studies, or additional collaborations with theorists. The successful applicant will have opportunities to work closely and mentor graduate students at Vanderbilt and participate in or promote new scientific outreach programs undertaken by the HENP group at all levels, from the general public to high school students to undergraduate students.

Applicants should send (1) the complete curriculum vitae, (2) a brief (1-2 pages) description of relevant research experiences and highlighting their interests, (3) a list of publications, and (4) arrange for three recommendation letters to be sent electronically to Prof. Yi Chen: yi.chen@vanderbilt.edu. Please also specify whether you are interested in this or the CMS-focused position.

Review of applications will begin on Mar 1st, 2024, and continue until the position is filled. The position is for two years, and it is renewable for one more year, depending on performance. Vanderbilt University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and greatly encourages historically underrepresented and marginalized minority candidates to apply.

Questions can be addressed to Prof. Yi Chen (yi.chen@vanderbilt.edu)