Prospective Postdoctoral Scholars

Sunrise on the Aerial Tram

Why do your postdoc at OHSU?

As Oregon's only academic health center, OHSU is a locally and nationally recognized leader in healthcare, education, and advanced biomedical research. The synergy among these three enterprises leads to new cures, new standards of care, and a better understanding of the basic science that drives biomedical discovery. At OHSU, researchers are exploring new basic, translational, clinical, and applied research frontiers.

Click below to learn more about why you should do your postdoc at OHSU.

Career education from the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs

Only you can take charge of your career! Fortunately, the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs is here to help you develop your skills, explore your career options, and make informed career decisions.

The OPA serves as the central hub for information, education, and training for all postdoctoral scholars at OHSU. Whether your career goal is academic or non-academic, or even undetermined, the OPA staff can assist you with:

  • Self assessment, career exploration, and individual development plans
  • Transferable and technical skill training and development
  • Job search strategies
  • Networking
  • Application document review
  • Job offer negotiations

In addition, OHSU offers a wide range of professional development opportunities to ensure postdoctoral scholars have the tools, knowledge, and skills needed to be successful. 

Culture of mentorship

OHSU offers tremendous opportunities for learning and professional development among it's nearly 2,800 clinical and basic research faculty members. By choosing a postdoctoral position at OHSU, you choose to work among the nation's most renowned scientists, including:

  • Fifteen NIH NRSA Institutional Training Grant directors
  • Nine mentorship award recipients
  • Five National Academy of Science members
  • Three Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigators
  • Two American Academy of Arts and Sciences fellows

These, and many other faculty, are dedicated to the mentorship of the world's future scientific leaders. Want to learn more? Discover the research and experts at OHSU.

Interdisciplinary research and education

As a institution of public health, education, and research, OHSU provides unique opportunities for interdisciplinary research collaborations and educational opportunities. OHSU is home to three professional schools, the Schools of Medicine, Nursing, and Dentistry. In the Collaborative Life Sciences Building, OHSU collaborates in biomedical research and education with Oregon State University and Portland State University, forming the College of Pharmacy and School of Public Health, respectively.

Additionally, OHSU is comprised of 68 separate research centers and institutes, including the Vollum Institute for Advanced Biomedical Research, the Oregon Clinical and Translational Research Institute, and the Oregon National Primate Research Center.

Learn more about OHSU's collaborations: IDEA-EM  |  ONPRC  | Community Outreach and Engagement team at the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute

OHSU's Biomedical Innovation Program

The Biomedical Innovation Program at OHSU helps to accelerate the delivery of healthcare technologies from academia to the marketplace and thereby to improve health care. To reach this goal, the program fosters collaborative translational research that will lead to technology commercialization within a 3-5 year horizon.

The Biomedical Innovation Program cultivates, evaluates, and funds promising translational projects with the objective of moving innovative technologies to clinical application through commercialization. Do you have an idea for a technical innovation to improve patient care?

Learn more about OHSU's Biomedical Innovation Program.

Awards & recognition

OHSU is continually recognized for it's excellence in research, education, and healthcare. Below are just a few of OHSU's awards and recognition.

  • Doernbecher Children’s Hospital is nationally ranked in seven pediatric specialties by U.S. News & World Report
  • Only hospital in Oregon to be nationally ranked in six adult specialties by U.S. News & World Report
  • Best hospital in Oregon (2022-2023) as ranked by U.S. News & World Report
  • Oregon’s only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center: Knight Cancer Institute
  • Nationally ranked by U.S. News & World Report's 2022 Best Graduate Schools:
    • Family Medicine #2
    • Nursing-Midwifery #2
    • Primary Care #4
    • Bachelor of Science in Nursing #9
    • Physician Assistant #10
    • Obstetrics and Gynecology #12
  • Research investments:
    • OHSU ranked 33rd out of 2,849 NIH-funded institutions in FY22; $573 million in overall sponsored funding in FY22
    • OHSU ranks among the world’s most innovative research universities in the Nature Index of global “Young Universities 2021.” OHSU ranked: 17th among top 150 universities overall and 2nd in life sciences
    • OHSU made 129 Invention disclosures in and filed 180 patent applications in FY22