Join Our Team

We are looking for curious, motivated researchers and students who want to explore how soft matter and biointerfaces can address challenges in healthcare and sustainable bioproduction.

At the Lin Group at the National University of Singapore (NUS), we bring synthetic materials into close interaction with living systems. Our interests range from adaptive electronics that move with the human body to materials that support tissue repair and microbial biohybrids that connect light harvesting with metabolism. We welcome people who enjoy hands-on discovery and want to develop ideas across disciplinary boundaries.

Our research grows along three connected directions:

  • Adaptive Bioelectronics: Develop liquid-metal-based soft materials, electronic textiles, and flexible devices that adapt to body motion and enable reliable health monitoring.
  • Soft Materials for Tissue Repair: Design hydrogels and other soft materials that interact with living tissues, drawing inspiration from biological structures and exploring tissue-like properties and living components.
  • Microbial Biohybrids: Bring bacteria and functional synthetic materials together to explore new ways of coupling light, cellular metabolism, and sustainable chemical production.

If these questions excite you, we would love to hear from you.

PhD Opportunities

We welcome prospective PhD students who are eager to investigate fundamental questions and develop new materials, devices, and biological platforms. PhD students will be enrolled in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at NUS.

You may come from chemical engineering, materials science, chemistry, biomedical engineering, biotechnology, electrical engineering, physics, or another related field. What matters to us is your curiosity, research potential, and readiness to learn beyond your existing expertise. Tell us what you want to investigate and how your experience could contribute to our research.

Prospective PhD students may explore the following scholarships and fellowships:

Eligibility, availability, and application procedures vary by scheme. Funding will depend on the applicant’s eligibility, the research project and supervision arrangements, and the relevant admissions cycle. Please refer to the official links for current requirements.

To express your interest, email Prof. Yiliang Lin at y.lin@nus.edu.sg with the subject “PhD Application – [Your Name]” and include:

  • Your CV.
  • Unofficial academic transcripts.
  • A brief statement of your research interests, relevant experience, and career goals.
  • Names and contact details of at least two referees.
  • Selected publications or other research outputs, if available.

Please also indicate your preferred research direction and starting period.

Research Fellow Opportunities

We are recruiting Research Fellows who want to develop ambitious research ideas in adaptive bioelectronics, soft materials for tissue repair, and microbial biohybrids.

We welcome candidates who can bring fresh perspectives and complementary expertise to the group. Alongside contributing to ongoing projects, we encourage you to propose questions and approaches that could open new directions within our research.

Candidates should hold, or be close to completing, a PhD in a relevant discipline and demonstrate the ability to develop and carry out independent research. Depending on the project, relevant experience may include liquid metal composites, polymer synthesis, hydrogels, device fabrication, electrical characterization, cell culture, tissue models, microbiology, or biohybrid engineering.

Email Prof. Yiliang Lin at y.lin@nus.edu.sg with the subject “Research Fellow Application – [Your Name]” and include:

  • Your CV, including a publication list.
  • Names and contact details of at least two referees.
  • A five-slide presentation summarizing your previous research accomplishments.
  • A brief description of the research you would like to pursue and your career goals.

Positions will remain open until filled.

Visiting Students and Scholars

We welcome visiting students and scholars who want to exchange ideas and develop collaborative research with our group. If you see a connection between your work and ours, get in touch to explore the possibilities.

Visits of one year or longer are particularly welcome, allowing time to develop a substantial project together.

Email y.lin@nus.edu.sg with your CV, research interests, proposed visiting period, and information about your funding arrangements. Please use the subject “Visiting Student/Scholar Enquiry – [Your Name]”.

Undergraduate and Master’s Research Opportunities

Discover what research can offer by contributing to an active project in soft matter and biointerface engineering. We welcome undergraduate and master’s students who are eager to explore new questions and build practical research skills.

Opportunities may include final-year projects and other research projects aligned with the group’s ongoing work. Tell us what interests you and what you hope to learn.

Email y.lin@nus.edu.sg with your CV, research interests, and proposed project period. Please use the subject “Undergraduate/Master’s Research Application – [Your Name]”.