J-1 Visa Research Technician Jobs
Research Technician positions in the United States are available to international exchange visitors under the J-1 visa Research Scholar or Trainee program category, depending on your career stage. Universities, national laboratories, and private research institutes serve as host employers while a State Department-designated sponsor organization provides DS-2019 sponsorship and program oversight.
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At the forefront of medical discovery as it relates to understanding the causes of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and dementia, Pennington Biomedical Research Center is a campus of Louisiana State University and conducts basic, clinical and population research. The Center includes Basic Science, Clinical Research, and Population and Public Health, enabling both focused research and translational science. Research at Pennington Biomedical is supported broadly by multiple NIH Research Centers, and includes approximately 65 faculty and 20 postdoctoral fellows who comprise a network of 44 laboratories and 13 highly specialized core service facilities. Pennington Biomedical is located within state-of-the-art research facilities on a 222-acre campus in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
All Job Postings will close at 12: 01a.m. CST (1:01a.m. EST) on the specified Closing Date (if designated).
If you close the browser or exit your application prior to submitting, the application progress will be saved as a draft. You will be able to access and complete the application through “My Draft Applications” located on your Candidate Home page.
Job Posting Title:
Postdoctoral Researcher - Mitochondrial Energetics and Nutrient Utilization (MENU) Lab
Position Type:
Other Academic
Department:
LSUPBRC Clinic - MENU Lab (Jacob Mey (00053188))
Work Location:
LSU - Pennington Biomedical
Pay Grade:
Other Academic
Job Description:
Pennington Biomedical Research Center, a world-renowned academic research institute of Louisiana State University, is seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Mitochondrial Energetics and Nutrient Utilization (MENU) Laboratory.
The Postdoctoral Researcher will conduct advanced, independent, and collaborative research focused on clinical dietetics, precision nutrition and underlying biological mechanisms underlying the relationships between diet and health. This position is responsible for designing and executing innovative research studies, analyzing and interpreting complex experimental data, with particular focus on multi-omics platforms and bioinformatics, and disseminating findings through peer-reviewed publications and scientific presentations. The Postdoctoral Researcher mentors students and research staff, collaborates with multidisciplinary investigators, and supports the laboratory's overall research mission while ensuring compliance with institutional, regulatory, and laboratory safety standards.
Major Responsibilities
- Design, develop, and conduct independent and collaborative research studies investigating the physiological mechanisms underlying diet-health and diet-disease relationships using advanced experimental approaches.
- Analyze high dimensional datasets utilizing modern bioinformatics techniques, especially pertaining to metabolic and nutrient utilization pathways.
- Plan, execute, troubleshoot, and optimize complex metabolic assessment techniques, including hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamps, oral glucose tolerance tests and mixed meal tolerance tests.
- Design and implement research studies involving analyzing large-scale datasets on diet and health e.g. NHANES and other specialized databases necessary to achieve research objectives.
- Plan, execute, troubleshoot, and optimize complex laboratory techniques, including mass spectrometry, molecular biology, protein analysis, histological and immunohistochemical methods, metabolic assays, and other specialized techniques necessary to achieve research objectives.
- Collect, process, and analyze biological specimens, including blood, breath, tissue, and cultured cells, ensuring sample integrity and adherence to established laboratory, biosafety, and quality assurance procedures.
- Analyze, interpret, and integrate complex experimental data using appropriate statistical methods and scientific software to generate meaningful conclusions and identify future research directions.
- Prepare manuscripts, abstracts, scientific reports, and presentations for publication in peer-reviewed journals and presentation at local, national, and international scientific conferences.
- Contribute to the development of grant proposals, fellowship applications, progress reports, and other sponsored research activities by generating preliminary data, drafting scientific content, and assisting with research planning.
- Collaborate with principal investigators, faculty, clinicians, and multidisciplinary research teams to develop innovative research strategies, establish new methodologies, and advance the overall scientific goals of the laboratory and institution.
- Mentor graduate students, research associates, technicians, and other trainees by providing scientific guidance, technical instruction, and oversight of laboratory activities while fostering a collaborative research environment.
- Maintain accurate, comprehensive, and well-organized research records, ensuring compliance with institutional policies, funding agency requirements, laboratory safety regulations, and Good Laboratory Practices (GLP), where applicable.
- Assist with laboratory management activities, including maintenance and calibration of research equipment, inventory management, protocol development, regulatory documentation, and implementation of quality control procedures to support efficient laboratory operations.
- Remain current with emerging scientific literature, technological advances, and best practices nutrition, metabolism, and related disciplines by participating in laboratory meetings, seminars, journal clubs, professional development activities, and scientific conferences.
- Other duties as assigned.
Required Qualifications
- PhD in nutrition, physiology, or closely related biomedical discipline.
- Two (2) years of experience conducting independent laboratory research in nutrition, metabolism, or related biomedical discipline, which can include internships, academic research, or work in a clinical or research lab setting.
- Proficiency in a variety of molecular, cellular, biochemical, and physiological laboratory techniques, with the ability to develop, optimize, and troubleshoot experimental protocols.
- Experience analyzing and interpreting complex scientific data using appropriate statistical methods and scientific software, with a focus on bioinformatics.
- Record of scholarly achievement, including peer-reviewed publications and scientific presentations commensurate with career stage.
- Knowledge of experimental design, research methodology, and scientific principles applicable to translational or basic biomedical research.
- Demonstrated ability to work independently while contributing effectively within a multidisciplinary research team.
- Strong scientific writing, verbal communication, and presentation skills, with the ability to prepare manuscripts, reports, and grant-related materials.
- Experience in mentoring or training students, research staff, or laboratory personnel is preferred.
- Commitment to maintaining compliance with laboratory safety procedures, institutional policies, and applicable regulatory and funding agency requirements.
Preferred Experience
- Clinical dietetics, human nutrition and metabolism, and bioinformatics related to plasma metabolomics and multi-omics platforms.
Pennington Biomedical Research Center seeks to recruit a highly productive workforce with a broad range of backgrounds and perspectives and will provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and prospective employees. Employment decisions shall be based strictly on merit and without regard to religious or political beliefs, sex, race, or any other non-merit factor.
Additional Job Description:
Competencies:
None
Special Instructions:
Interested candidates should include a curriculum vitae and a statement of research interests (one or two pages). Official transcripts are required prior to hire and are not required at the time of application.
Posting Date:
September 17, 2026
Closing Date (Open Until Filled if No Date Specified):
October 1, 2026
Additional Position Information:
Pennington Biomedical is located within state-of-the-art research facilities on a 222-acre campus in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. For more information, visit PBRC.
Questions regarding career opportunities at Pennington Biomedical should be sent to hrm@pbrc.edu.
Background Check - An offer of employment is contingent on a satisfactory pre-employment background check.
Benefits - Pennington Biomedical Research Center offers outstanding benefits to eligible employees and their dependents including health, life, dental, and vision insurance; flexible spending accounts; retirement options; various leave options; paid holidays; wellness benefits; tuition exemption for qualified positions; training and development opportunities; employee discounts; and more!
Positions approved to work outside the State of Louisiana shall be employed through Louisiana State University’s partner, nextSource Workforce Solutions, for Employer of Record Services including but not limited to employment, benefits, payroll, and tax compliance. Positions employed through Employer of Record Services will be offered benefits and retirement as applicable through their provider and will not be eligible for State of Louisiana benefits and retirement.
Essential Position (Y/N):
Pennington Biomedical Research Center/LSU is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Contact Information:
Questions or concerns can be directed to PBRC Human Resources at 225-763-2776 or hrm@pbrc.edu.
About us:
At the forefront of medical discovery as it relates to understanding the causes of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and dementia, Pennington Biomedical Research Center is a campus of Louisiana State University and conducts basic, clinical and population research. The Center includes Basic Science, Clinical Research, and Population and Public Health, enabling both focused research and translational science. Research at Pennington Biomedical is supported broadly by multiple NIH Research Centers, and includes approximately 65 faculty and 20 postdoctoral fellows who comprise a network of 44 laboratories and 13 highly specialized core service facilities. Pennington Biomedical is located within state-of-the-art research facilities on a 222-acre campus in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
All Job Postings will close at 12: 01a.m. CST (1:01a.m. EST) on the specified Closing Date (if designated).
If you close the browser or exit your application prior to submitting, the application progress will be saved as a draft. You will be able to access and complete the application through “My Draft Applications” located on your Candidate Home page.
Job Posting Title:
Postdoctoral Researcher - Mitochondrial Energetics and Nutrient Utilization (MENU) Lab
Position Type:
Other Academic
Department:
LSUPBRC Clinic - MENU Lab (Jacob Mey (00053188))
Work Location:
LSU - Pennington Biomedical
Pay Grade:
Other Academic
Job Description:
Pennington Biomedical Research Center, a world-renowned academic research institute of Louisiana State University, is seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Mitochondrial Energetics and Nutrient Utilization (MENU) Laboratory.
The Postdoctoral Researcher will conduct advanced, independent, and collaborative research focused on clinical dietetics, precision nutrition and underlying biological mechanisms underlying the relationships between diet and health. This position is responsible for designing and executing innovative research studies, analyzing and interpreting complex experimental data, with particular focus on multi-omics platforms and bioinformatics, and disseminating findings through peer-reviewed publications and scientific presentations. The Postdoctoral Researcher mentors students and research staff, collaborates with multidisciplinary investigators, and supports the laboratory's overall research mission while ensuring compliance with institutional, regulatory, and laboratory safety standards.
Major Responsibilities
- Design, develop, and conduct independent and collaborative research studies investigating the physiological mechanisms underlying diet-health and diet-disease relationships using advanced experimental approaches.
- Analyze high dimensional datasets utilizing modern bioinformatics techniques, especially pertaining to metabolic and nutrient utilization pathways.
- Plan, execute, troubleshoot, and optimize complex metabolic assessment techniques, including hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic clamps, oral glucose tolerance tests and mixed meal tolerance tests.
- Design and implement research studies involving analyzing large-scale datasets on diet and health e.g. NHANES and other specialized databases necessary to achieve research objectives.
- Plan, execute, troubleshoot, and optimize complex laboratory techniques, including mass spectrometry, molecular biology, protein analysis, histological and immunohistochemical methods, metabolic assays, and other specialized techniques necessary to achieve research objectives.
- Collect, process, and analyze biological specimens, including blood, breath, tissue, and cultured cells, ensuring sample integrity and adherence to established laboratory, biosafety, and quality assurance procedures.
- Analyze, interpret, and integrate complex experimental data using appropriate statistical methods and scientific software to generate meaningful conclusions and identify future research directions.
- Prepare manuscripts, abstracts, scientific reports, and presentations for publication in peer-reviewed journals and presentation at local, national, and international scientific conferences.
- Contribute to the development of grant proposals, fellowship applications, progress reports, and other sponsored research activities by generating preliminary data, drafting scientific content, and assisting with research planning.
- Collaborate with principal investigators, faculty, clinicians, and multidisciplinary research teams to develop innovative research strategies, establish new methodologies, and advance the overall scientific goals of the laboratory and institution.
- Mentor graduate students, research associates, technicians, and other trainees by providing scientific guidance, technical instruction, and oversight of laboratory activities while fostering a collaborative research environment.
- Maintain accurate, comprehensive, and well-organized research records, ensuring compliance with institutional policies, funding agency requirements, laboratory safety regulations, and Good Laboratory Practices (GLP), where applicable.
- Assist with laboratory management activities, including maintenance and calibration of research equipment, inventory management, protocol development, regulatory documentation, and implementation of quality control procedures to support efficient laboratory operations.
- Remain current with emerging scientific literature, technological advances, and best practices nutrition, metabolism, and related disciplines by participating in laboratory meetings, seminars, journal clubs, professional development activities, and scientific conferences.
- Other duties as assigned.
Required Qualifications
- PhD in nutrition, physiology, or closely related biomedical discipline.
- Two (2) years of experience conducting independent laboratory research in nutrition, metabolism, or related biomedical discipline, which can include internships, academic research, or work in a clinical or research lab setting.
- Proficiency in a variety of molecular, cellular, biochemical, and physiological laboratory techniques, with the ability to develop, optimize, and troubleshoot experimental protocols.
- Experience analyzing and interpreting complex scientific data using appropriate statistical methods and scientific software, with a focus on bioinformatics.
- Record of scholarly achievement, including peer-reviewed publications and scientific presentations commensurate with career stage.
- Knowledge of experimental design, research methodology, and scientific principles applicable to translational or basic biomedical research.
- Demonstrated ability to work independently while contributing effectively within a multidisciplinary research team.
- Strong scientific writing, verbal communication, and presentation skills, with the ability to prepare manuscripts, reports, and grant-related materials.
- Experience in mentoring or training students, research staff, or laboratory personnel is preferred.
- Commitment to maintaining compliance with laboratory safety procedures, institutional policies, and applicable regulatory and funding agency requirements.
Preferred Experience
- Clinical dietetics, human nutrition and metabolism, and bioinformatics related to plasma metabolomics and multi-omics platforms.
Pennington Biomedical Research Center seeks to recruit a highly productive workforce with a broad range of backgrounds and perspectives and will provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and prospective employees. Employment decisions shall be based strictly on merit and without regard to religious or political beliefs, sex, race, or any other non-merit factor.
Additional Job Description:
Competencies:
None
Special Instructions:
Interested candidates should include a curriculum vitae and a statement of research interests (one or two pages). Official transcripts are required prior to hire and are not required at the time of application.
Posting Date:
September 17, 2026
Closing Date (Open Until Filled if No Date Specified):
October 1, 2026
Additional Position Information:
Pennington Biomedical is located within state-of-the-art research facilities on a 222-acre campus in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. For more information, visit PBRC.
Questions regarding career opportunities at Pennington Biomedical should be sent to hrm@pbrc.edu.
Background Check - An offer of employment is contingent on a satisfactory pre-employment background check.
Benefits - Pennington Biomedical Research Center offers outstanding benefits to eligible employees and their dependents including health, life, dental, and vision insurance; flexible spending accounts; retirement options; various leave options; paid holidays; wellness benefits; tuition exemption for qualified positions; training and development opportunities; employee discounts; and more!
Positions approved to work outside the State of Louisiana shall be employed through Louisiana State University’s partner, nextSource Workforce Solutions, for Employer of Record Services including but not limited to employment, benefits, payroll, and tax compliance. Positions employed through Employer of Record Services will be offered benefits and retirement as applicable through their provider and will not be eligible for State of Louisiana benefits and retirement.
Essential Position (Y/N):
Pennington Biomedical Research Center/LSU is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Contact Information:
Questions or concerns can be directed to PBRC Human Resources at 225-763-2776 or hrm@pbrc.edu.
See all 94+ J-1 Visa Research Technician Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new J-1 Visa Research Technician Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding J-1 Visa Sponsorship as a Research Technician
Match your credentials to the right category
Postdoctoral researchers and faculty-level scientists typically qualify under Research Scholar, while technicians without an advanced degree or with under five years of experience usually fall under Trainee. Applying to the wrong category will stall your DS-2019 issuance before you even reach a host employer.
Verify the two-year home residency rule upfront
Research Technician roles at federally funded labs or government agencies frequently trigger the J-1 home-country residency requirement under INA Section 212(e). Confirm whether your funding source or nationality activates this requirement before accepting any offer, since it restricts status changes afterward.
Target host employers with institutional sponsor relationships
Universities, NIH-affiliated research centers, and established private institutes already hold agreements with State Department-designated sponsors like IIE or CIEE. Focusing your search on these institutions shortens the sponsorship timeline because the DS-2019 paperwork infrastructure is already in place.
Use Migrate Mate to find J-1-aligned Research Technician roles
Search Migrate Mate to identify U.S. employers actively hosting J-1 exchange visitors in laboratory and research support functions. Filtering by host institution type helps you prioritize organizations where sponsorship through a designated sponsor is already part of the hiring workflow.
Prepare a detailed training plan before the offer stage
Your designated sponsor requires a DS-7002 Training or Internship Placement Plan that maps specific laboratory techniques, equipment, and learning objectives to defined timeframes. Arriving at the offer stage without this document delays DS-2019 issuance by weeks. Draft it collaboratively with your prospective host supervisor.
Clarify insurance coverage requirements with your host employer
J-1 regulations mandate medical insurance meeting USCIS minimum standards throughout your program. Some host research institutions provide coverage through a group plan, but others require you to purchase a compliant individual policy. Confirm the arrangement in writing before your program start date.
Research Technician J-1 Visa: Frequently Asked Questions
Which J-1 program category applies to Research Technician positions?
It depends on your qualifications and career stage. Current graduate students or recent graduates seeking hands-on laboratory experience typically qualify under the Intern category. Early-career professionals with a degree and relevant work experience who want structured skill development in a U.S. research setting usually fall under Trainee. Senior researchers with advanced degrees may qualify under Research Scholar, which suits positions at universities and national laboratories.
Who actually sponsors the J-1 visa for a Research Technician, the employer or someone else?
The hiring laboratory or university is your host employer, not your visa sponsor. Your J-1 visa sponsor is a separate U.S. Department of State-designated organization, such as IIE, CIEE, or Cultural Vistas, that issues the DS-2019 form, monitors your program compliance, and serves as your official point of contact with the State Department. The host employer cannot sponsor a J-1 independently without being affiliated with one of these designated sponsors.
How do I find Research Technician host employers that work with J-1 sponsors?
Search Migrate Mate to identify U.S. research institutions and employers that have hosted J-1 exchange visitors in laboratory roles. Universities, NIH-affiliated centers, and large research institutes are the most common host employers because they already maintain sponsorship relationships with designated organizations. Prioritizing these institution types significantly reduces administrative delays in the DS-2019 issuance process.
Does a Research Technician J-1 position trigger the two-year home residency requirement?
It can. The two-year home-country physical presence requirement under INA Section 212(e) applies if your exchange program is funded by your home government or the U.S. government, or if your home country has identified your field as one with a critical shortage of professionals. Federal research funding, even indirect funding through a grant to your host institution, is the most common trigger for Research Technician roles at government-affiliated labs. Check your DS-2019 for a Section 212(e) notation.
What documents does a Research Technician need to secure before the DS-2019 is issued?
Your designated sponsor will require a completed DS-7002 Training or Internship Placement Plan detailing your specific laboratory objectives, techniques, and weekly schedule, a formal offer letter from the host employer, proof of English proficiency, and documentation of relevant academic credentials or work experience. Financial support documentation showing you can cover living expenses is also required. Incomplete training plans are the most common cause of DS-2019 delays for research and technical program applicants.