We recruit people who set the bar.

The Qi Lab is built for scientists who are highly motivated, rigorous, and bold—people who want to invent new tools to answer first-principles questions, and execute at a high level. We look for candidates with a strong track record of ownership and originality, resilience, and unusually high standards for experimental design, quantitative thinking, computation/experimental skills, and teamwork.

Good fit if you: take initiative, have high agency, learn fast, communicate clearly, and enjoy hard problems.
Not a good fit if you: prefer low-risk projects, need constant direction, or aren’t excited by troubleshooting and ambitious goals.

We review serious inquiries carefully but may not respond to incomplete submissions.

Postdoctoral Applicants

We have openings for exceptional postdocs.
We seek postdoctoral researchers who want to become future principal investigators/professors by leading ambitious projects at the interface of CRISPR perturbation, live-cell/super-resolution imaging, and computational modeling and design, with applications spanning immune and neural systems.

What stands out: first-author work or equivalent ownership, strong technical depth, clear scientific taste, and evidence of persistence through hard problems.

To apply: Email Stanley Qi (and cc Admin) with one PDF that includes:

• CV
• 1-page research summary (what you’ve done + what you want to do here)
• Links to 2–3 representative papers/preprints (yours or ones you admire)
• Names of 2–3 references (letters may be requested later)

PhD/MD Students

We welcome bold graduate students.
If you’re looking for “safe” projects, this lab is probably not for you. We are an incubator for students who want to tackle high-risk, high-reward questions—and who are ready to develop strong fundamentals in experimental rigor, quantitative thinking, and clear scientific communication and writing.

Stanford graduate students (PhD/MD) already enrolled: contact Stanley Qi (and cc Admin) with a short note describing your interests and prior experience.

Prospective students not yet at Stanford: please apply through the appropriate Stanford graduate program first; you’re welcome to email to discuss fit prior to applying.

Research Associates

We are interested in outstanding research associates.
RAs are essential leaders in our lab’s execution and culture. We value candidates who are highly reliable, organized, professional, and technically excellent, and who want to take ownership of core workflows while contributing scientifically.

To inquire: Email Stanley Qi (and cc Admin) with a CV and a brief description of your experience and the role you’re seeking (1 paragraph).

Visiting Students

We consider visiting researchers for short-term (at least 6 months) or long-term stays when there is a strong mutual fit and a clear mentoring plan.

To inquire: Email Stanley Qi (and cc Admin) with your CV, dates, and a short description of your proposed project and funding source (if applicable).