2 Postdoc Positions Available for the Areas of (I) Carbon Nanotube Composites and (II) Tissue Engineering in School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering
Nanyang Technological University (Singapore)


Research Topic 1: Carbon nanotubes are cylindrical carbon molecules that exhibit unusual strength and unique electrical properties. The covalent bonding in CNTs means they have very high tensile strengths. In 2000, a SWNT was tested to have a tensile strength of 63GPa (in comparison, high-carbon steel has a tensile strength of approximately 1.2GPa). They also have very high elastic modulus, in the order of 1TPa. Under excessive tensile strain, the tubes will undergo plastic deformation, which means the deformation is permanent. This deformation begins at strains of approximately 5% and the maximum strain the tube can undergo before fracture can be increased. Despite the highly attractive CNT properties, superior CNT-reinforced composite properties have yet to be seen. Tapping the high strength of CNT for composites remains illusive. The project is to develop CNT-based nanocomposites.

1 Postdoc position is available in the area of carbon nanotube composites. Interested candidates must have (a) PhD in Chemical Engineering, Materials Science or Engineering, Polymer Science or Engineering from a reputable university; (b) proven research ability and (c) experience in composites, CNT or polymer interface chemistry. The Postdoc should start in June 2007.

Research Topic 2: Small diameter vascular grafts are urgently needed by patients with diseased small diameter blood vessels. Tissue engineering provides a possible solution to replacement with biological grafts. The tissue engineered grafts need to be mechanically stimulated during in vitro regeneration process. I am looking for a Postdoctoral Fellow to work on tissue engineering of small diameter grafts. The person will work on the mechanical stimulation of vascular and stem cells. The position is for a period of 2 years. The Research Fellow should preferably have relevant experience or training in either of the following: cell culture, stem cells, biomaterials or bioreactors and / or mechanics.


Professor Mary Chan-Park
Dr Chan-Park did her PhD in polymers in MIT in 1993. She then did her postdoctoral fellow under the sponsorship of Dow Corning (USA).  She has worked for 10 years in industries in various technical management positions in USA and Singapore. She worked as a senior technical manager in Sipix Imaging (CA, USA) from 1999-2001. She has joined the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) as Associate Professor in 2001. She is currently also Director of Biotechnology and Associate Chair of the School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering in NTU.  

She has about 4 postdoctoral fellows and research fellows and 6 PhD/MEng in her research group. Her current interests are in Carbon Nanotube, and Tissue Engineering. She has published more than 61 peered review papers (in PRL, Chem Mat, Langmuir, Chemistry of materials, Tissue Engineering, Applied Physics Letters, Nanotechnology, etc). She has also got 12 patents and several patent applications.  

Procedure
Please contact Professor Mary Chan-Park directly:
Email: mbechan@ntu.edu.sg
Website: http://www.ntu.edu.sg/home/mbechan/
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