Postdoc Resources

Postdoctoral scholars at PMB enjoy a rich and diverse working and research environment, along with extensive support from the greater university community. There are more than 100 postdocs in the department.

According to a recent survey of our postdocs, 46% of the respondents are from Europe, 30% from the U.S., 18% from Asia and 6% from Central and South America.

In addition to research, some postdocs also contribute to mentoring of graduate and undergraduate students, participate in teaching and outreach activities and help with lab management.

Postdoc advisors are available for one-on-one meetings and can advise postdocs regarding career development, research and more. In addition, a large group of PMB professors are on call if a postdoc wants to meet with another professor.

Career Resources and Programs

Berkeley Postdoctoral Enterpreneur Program (BPEP) aims to foster entrepreneurship in the UC Berkeley postdoctoral and graduate community. They provide tools for fostering entrepreneurship and host frequent seminars on a variety of topics related to moving research innovations into the marketplace. Learn more at: bpep.berkeley.edu

The Postdoc Industry Exploration Program (PIEP) arranges visits to companies to showcase their organization, atmosphere and employees. PIEP also holds workshops and seminars to provide more information on career opportunities across different industries. Learn more at piep.berkeley.edu

Beyond Academia - Beyond Academia is a career education conference that exposes UC Berkeley PhD students and postdocs to career options outside of academia. Panels on a variety of career tracks give attendees the opportunity to interact with successful and creative professionals, while workshops and networking events allow for discussion in an informal setting. Learn more at beyondacademia.org. For additional resources: beyondacademia.org/resources

Careers for Life Science - Each Spring semester there is a weekly 2 hour evening seminar on a variety of careers for PhDs in the Life Sciences organized by graduate students in the MCB department. Learn more at mcb.berkeley.edu

Science Leadership and Management (SLAM) is a seminar series focused on understanding the many interpersonal interactions critical for success in a scientific lab, as well as some practical aspects of lab management. While not specifically focused on non-academic careers, the skills that are discussed in SLAM seminars will be applicable to a variety of career paths. Learn more here: qb3.berkeley.edu/qb3/slam.cfm.

UC Berkeley Career Center:  career.berkeley.edu/

The QB3-Berkeley Graduate and Postdoc Career Development office supports and strengthens professional development for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in the biological sciences at Berkeley.

Mentors assist postdocs with resume edits, job searches, career planning and more.

The faculty postdoc advisors are Louise Glass and  Sheila McCormick. 

Other faculty mentors that have volunteered to advise postdocs in other labs include:

Tom Bruns
Britt Glaunsinger
Steve Lindow
Arash Komeili
Kathleen Ryan
Barbara Baker
Jenn Fletcher
Mike Freeling
Sarah Hake
Russell Jones
Peggy Lemaux
Sheng Luan
Renee Sung
Mary Wildermuth