Open PhD Positions

We have two open and funded positions for new PhD students beginning as early as January 2026. One project relates to engineering synthetic microbial communities and the other is focussed on engineering microbes for critical mineral recovery.

Students may apply to ASU graduate programs in Chemical Engineering, Biological Design, Microbiology, or MCB.

This is a great opportunity, especially if you missed the Fall ’25 cycle or do not want to wait until Fall ’26.

Please reach out to Prof. Nielsen if interested or if you have any questions.

Yousong Ding

Dr. Yousong Ding received his B.S. in Applied Chemistry from Peking University in 2000, his M.S. in Chemistry (Advisor: Prof. Liangcheng Du) from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in 2004, and his Ph.D. in Medicinal Chemistry from the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor in 2010, where he trained under Professor David Sherman. He subsequently completed postdoctoral research with Professor Frances Arnold at Caltech. In 2012, Dr. Ding returned to Michigan to join Pfizer Inc. (Kalamazoo, MI) before beginning his independent academic career at the University of Florida in July 2013. He is currently a Professor of Medicinal Chemistry at UF. Dr. Ding’s research group integrates synthetic biology, medicinal chemistry, microbiology, molecular biology, and microbiome engineering to discover and develop bioactive natural products that address current and emerging medical challenges. At UF, he has published over 60 peer-reviewed papers and filed more than 20 invention disclosures. He is also a frequent reviewer for funding agencies including the NIH, NSF, and others.

Catherine McCarthy

Catherine McCarthy serves as the Director of the National Informal STEM Education Network (NISE Network) and is Project Manager Senior for the Arizona State University Center for Innovation in Informal STEM Learning (CIISL) in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society. McCarthy has more than twenty years of experience developing, implementing, and studying STEM learning and public engagement on a variety of science and technology topics. The National Informal STEM Education Network (NISE Network) is a community of informal educators and scientists dedicated to supporting learning about science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) across the United States.

Open PhD Positions

Yousong Ding

Catherine McCarthy

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