The Andersen Lab was established at Scripps Research in the summer of 2015 in beautiful La Jolla, California. We are part of Scripps Research at the Department of Translational Medicine and the Department of Immunology and Microbiology, and located at the Scripps Research Translational Institute.

We are strong proponents of open data and open science, and we are big believers in collaborating across scientific disciplines. To this end, we are actively engaged in several research initiatives, including the Center for Viral Systems Biology, the Viral Hemorrhagic Fever Consortium, the West African Research Network for Infectious Diseases, SEARCH, PREVENT, and the WestNile 4K Project.

The core of our research lies at the intersection of academic science and global health, where we try to understand questions such as: how do viruses emerge, spread, evolve, and go from causing small-scale outbreaks to large-scale epidemics? How can we diagnose them better and discover novel ones? How do they develop resistance to countermeasures and what molecular and immunological factors govern the underlying mechanisms? Critically, by addressing these questions, we can help develop new and effective vaccines and medicines, while informing outbreak responses. The research in our laboratory is aimed at tackling these questions using an integrated approach of computation, experimentation, genomics, and large-scale data analysis. We also more broadly employ quantitative approaches across scientific disciplines, ranging from microbiology to human immunology and genetics.

We do not currently have any open positions – if you feel like you’re a perfect fit for the lab, feel free to email us at [email protected]. Please note that we are getting a lot of enquiries and will unfortunately not be able to respond to all emails.

Do you take graduate students?
We can’t consider graduate students on an individual basis. Scripps Research has a graduate school and offers highly competitive (paid) graduate positions. Interested students should apply directly via this program – read more about the program on the website.

Do you take interns?
We normally don’t directly take interns in the lab, however, every summer we consider students via both the Scripps Research ‘SURF’ program and the Translational Institute ‘Student Research Internship’ program. If none of these programs fit your needs, but you still think that you’d be a fantastic fit for the lab, then please feel free to email us directly.

Do I need publications to be successful for a postdoc position?
Not necessarily, however, it is very hard to judge research productivity without publications (that’s not to say it’s easy to judge with publications either!). We honestly couldn’t care less which journal your research is in, but it is important to show that you have successfully driven productive projects from the initiation stage to the finish line. In line with this, we’re unfortunately unable to judge publications ‘in preparation’ or ‘under review’ – if you want us to take these under consideration, then make sure they’re on the bioRxiv (or similar) and link to them. If you have very few or no first-author publications, then please explain why that is the case in your email / cover letter (we understand science is unpredictable and sometimes things don’t work out).

Do you sponsor visas?
Yes, we are able to consider candidates requiring a visa for positions requiring a PhD or equivalent.

Do you sponsor green cards?
Unfortunately we do not.

Do you consider international candidates?
We do. However, current U.S. policies may complicate our ability to consider international candidates from certain regions.

Am I required to get/have my own fellowship?
No, however, it is always expected that candidates apply for fellowships. Successfully applying for independent funding is also going to be helpful for your future career prospects. Here is a great resource to look for fellowships and other funding opportunities for postdocs and here is a list for graduate students.

What are you mostly looking for in a candidate?
Brilliance and humor combined with an unquenching thirst for great science! Plus you gotta work well as part of a team.

I applied – what’s next?
We get many applications, so we are unfortunately unable to get back to everybody who apply. If you have applied for a postdoc position and haven’t heard back from us within a couple of weeks, but you think you’re a great fit, please email us again since things sometimes get lost in the ether. If we select you as a candidate, then we’ll set up a conference call where we can chat more and you can ask all to questions you might have. After that, we have candidates do a virtual visit to present their current and future work.

How long will my postdoc take?
Typically 3-5 years. However, this all depends on your future career choices and how productive you are. If you want to go for a tenure-track faculty position, then usually your postdoc will be longer than if you aim for industry or staff scientist positions. The reason for this is that for you to be competitive for a faculty position, you will need to show independence with a well laid out future research program in mind. For most people that takes a lot of time. Applying for faculty positions is also a long process – typically 6-9 months.

Any tips on writing a strong cover letter for a postdoc position?
Be concise and accurate. In a sentence, why are you a great fit? Why is your research important? Spend some time learning about our lab and research and think about how future you would fit well. Also, if you incorporate a reference to the number 42 (and you understand why…) then we know that (a) you took the time to read this FAQ and the website, and (b) you’re clearly a nerd – that’s a promising start.

Is it fun to be part of the Andersen Lab?
Of course! Great colleagues, important and exciting science. Plus San Diego is awesome for science, biotech, and outdoor fun – and, yes, beers and tacos…