UNMC among top 40 best workplaces for postdocs

Postdoctoral fellows love UNMC so much that they ranked the medical center in the top 40 “Best Places to Work for Postdocs” in the United States.

The Scientist magazine, which published rankings in the March issue for United States and international institutions, surveyed postdocs around the world.

The Scientist Magazine recently ranked UNMC in its top 40 U.S. sites for postdocs. Pictured is Gurudutt Pendyala, Ph.D., right, the 2009 Postdoc of the Year, and Iqbal Ahmad, Ph.D., associate dean and director of postdoctoral education and research.

“This affirms the progress we’ve made to provide a good environment for postdocs,” said Iqbal Ahmad, Ph.D., associate dean and director of postdoctoral education and research at UNMC. “Being ranked among the top 40 will help us attract the best and brightest postdocs.”

Ranked 39th on the list, UNMC was one of 11 comprehensive academic health science centers on the list.

Tom Rosenquist, Ph.D., vice chancellor for research, praised UNMC’s nurturing environment.

“UNMC scientists have shown their power to acquire funding, publish in high-impact journals and establish worldwide reputations for excellence,” he said. “This new honor underscores their even more important ability to nurture the next generation of scientists.”

Full results Results are published in The Scientist, March 2010 issue and are available at www.the-scientist.com.

Rubens Pamies, M.D., vice chancellor for academic affairs and dean for graduate students, was delighted to hear that UNMC’s program ranked so high.

“This is a tribute to the hard work the university is doing to improve the postdoctoral experience and the leadership Dr. Ahmad has provided for the continued training and development of our postdoctoral scholars,” Dr. Pamies said.

UNMC has 120 postdocs from all over the world, the majority from India and China. They work with mentors in laboratories for two to five years.

Dr. Ahmad said that UNMC was the first institution in the United States to mandate a minimum salary level for postdocs and was among the few in nation to offer these benefits:

• A series of workshops on scientific and grant writing and public speaking; and
  
• Travel fellowships and awards to facilitate a comprehensive training and encouragement toward an independent career.

Gurudutt Pendyala, Ph.D., instructor of pharmacology and a 2009 Postdoc of the Year, completed his postdoctoral training in the laboratory of Howard Fox, M.D., Ph.D., professor of pharmacology and experimental neuroscience.

“I am fortunate to work with some of the best minds in my area of research and fortunate that I am able to do translational research. I’ve seen some wonderful collaborations develop here,” he said.