Postdoctoral Researcher Jobs in California
Postdoctoral Researcher jobs in California are among the most active in the country, concentrated in biomedical research, physical sciences, and engineering across the University of California system, Stanford University, and institutions like the Salk Institute and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The highest volume of openings clusters in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego, where public universities, private research universities, and national laboratories all maintain large research programs. Demand runs from fresh PhD graduates through senior postdocs with independent fellowship funding, with life sciences and computational biology among the most sought-after specialties. Scan the live roles below and apply to whichever ones fit.
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Postdoctoral Fellowship in Women’s Health – San Francisco VA / UCSF
San Francisco VA Health Care System | University of California, San Francisco
Location: San Francisco, CaliforniaAppointment: Full-time, two-year fellowshipApplication cycle: 2027–2028Compensation: [Insert approved VA fellowship stipend range]
About the Fellowship
The San Francisco VA Health Care System (SFVAHCS), in affiliation with the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), is accepting applications for its Advanced Postdoctoral Fellowship in Women’s Health.
This interdisciplinary, two-year fellowship prepares physicians, psychologists, and other doctoral-level researchers for independent careers in women’s health research, clinical care, and academic medicine.
Fellows receive individualized mentorship from established investigators across multiple research programs at SFVAHCS and UCSF. The program is designed to support each fellow’s research interests, scientific development, and long-term career goals.
Research Areas
Opportunities span a wide range of women’s health topics, including:
- Reproductive and midlife health: Menopause, ovarian aging, reproductive health, and hormonal influences on health.
- Cancer and prevention: Breast cancer risk, screening, prevention, and epidemiology.
- Mental health: PTSD, depression, trauma exposure, substance use, and mental health treatment.
- Cardiovascular and metabolic health: Cardiovascular risk, aging, osteoporosis, and related health outcomes.
- Sleep and biological mechanisms: Insomnia, psychophysiology, neuroendocrinology, inflammation, and sex differences in health.
- Other women’s health concerns: Urinary incontinence, chronic pain, and related conditions.
Fellows can pursue projects within a single research area or collaborate across disciplines, drawing on existing datasets, ongoing studies, and opportunities for new research.
Fellowship Training and Career Development
The fellowship provides mentored research and education, with clinical training opportunities for eligible fellows.
Training opportunities include:
- Developing and conducting independent research projects.
- Analyzing clinical, epidemiological, and biological datasets.
- Preparing first-author manuscripts and scientific presentations.
- Developing competitive research grants and career development awards.
- Participating in research seminars, workshops, and UCSF coursework.
- Receiving individualized mentorship and guidance toward an independent academic or research career.
Clinically qualified fellows may spend up to 25% of their time in supervised clinical activities, including care for women Veterans, depending on professional background and individualized training goals.
Mentorship and Research Environment
The program is co-directed by Karla Kerlikowske, MD, and Sabra Inslicht, PhD, and provides access to multidisciplinary faculty mentors across SFVAHCS and UCSF.
The San Francisco VA offers a substantial research infrastructure, a strong academic partnership with UCSF, and opportunities to collaborate with investigators across women’s health, primary care, psychiatry, epidemiology, and clinical research.
Fellows are encouraged to pursue their own research interests and identify mentors whose expertise best aligns with their goals.
Eligibility
Applicants must have:
- An MD with completed approved residency training; or
- A PhD in clinical or counseling psychology, nursing, neuroscience, epidemiology, health psychology, data science, or another relevant allied health field.
Clinical and counseling psychology applicants must have completed an APA-accredited doctoral program and APA-accredited internship.
All doctoral requirements must be completed before the fellowship begins. U.S. citizenship is required for the VA appointment.
Both clinical and nonclinical researchers are encouraged to apply.
Application Instructions
Applicants should submit:
- A letter of interest describing research experience, research interests, career goals, and potential faculty mentor(s).
- A curriculum vitae.
- Three letters of recommendation, including at least two from current or recent research mentors.
Please combine the letter of interest and CV into a single PDF. Recommendation letters should be sent directly by the recommenders in accordance with program instructions.
For psychology, psychiatry, and neuroscience applicants:
Sabra Inslicht, PhD: Sabra.Inslicht@va.gov
For medicine and other allied health applicants:
Karla Kerlikowske, MD: Karla.Kerlikowske@va.gov
For further information about the fellowship, visit:
https://www.womenshealth.va.gov/fellowship/
Applications are being accepted for the 2027–2028 fellowship cycle. Contact the program for current review dates.
Help advance women’s health research and improve care for women Veterans through interdisciplinary research, mentorship, and clinical training.
Pay: $68,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Health insurance
- Paid time off
Work Location: In person
See All 61 Postdoctoral Researcher Jobs in California
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Find Postdoctoral Researcher JobsPostdoctoral Researcher Jobs by City in California
Where California roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Postdoctoral Researcher Job Market in California
A snapshot from current California openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory16
- Keck Medicine of USC7
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory4
- UC Davis3
- City of Hope3
Top Industries Hiring
- Science & Research
- Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals
- Education
- Non-Profit & Social Services
What California Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in postdoctoral researcher jobs across California.
- PhD in a relevant discipline completed before or at the start of appointment
- Active publication record with peer-reviewed research in the relevant field
- Experience with standard laboratory techniques, instrumentation, or computational tools for the specialty
- Ability to design, execute, and interpret independent research projects with faculty mentorship
- Strong written communication skills for manuscript preparation and grant writing
- Demonstrated ability to collaborate within multidisciplinary research teams and mentor graduate students
Postdoctoral Researcher Jobs in California: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a postdoctoral researcher in California?
You become a postdoctoral researcher in California by earning a doctoral degree and securing a formal appointment through a university, national laboratory, or research institute. California does not require a state license for most postdoctoral roles, but positions at University of California campuses follow UC systemwide appointment policies, and clinical or patient-adjacent postdocs may require a California professional license. Most researchers apply directly through institutional hiring portals or through faculty contacts in their field.
Which companies hire postdoctoral researchers in California?
Employers hiring postdoctoral researchers in California right now include Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Keck Medicine of USC, and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of November 2026. California's concentration of research universities, biotech headquarters, and federal national laboratories makes it one of the broadest postdoctoral hiring markets in the country.
Which California cities have the most postdoctoral researcher jobs?
The cities with the most postdoctoral researcher openings in California are Livermore, Los Angeles, and San Francisco Bay Area. The Bay Area leads because of the density of UC Berkeley, UCSF, Stanford, and biotech campuses in the region, Los Angeles draws volume through UCLA, USC, and Caltech, and San Diego's openings are driven by UC San Diego alongside one of the country's largest biotech and genomics research clusters.
Are there remote postdoctoral researcher jobs in California?
Yes, but they're rare. Postdoctoral research is predominantly hands-on, requiring access to laboratory equipment, core facilities, or on-site collaboration, which makes fully remote appointments uncommon. About 69% of postdoctoral researcher openings tied to California are remote or hybrid as of November 2026, and those tend to be in computational biology, bioinformatics, data science, or theoretical research where the work is entirely software and analysis based.
How can I get hired as a postdoctoral researcher in California with little or no experience?
The most realistic path is applying directly to faculty-sponsored postdoctoral positions at University of California campuses while your dissertation is still in progress, as many principal investigators will consider candidates who are within months of defending. UC San Diego, UCLA, and UCSF all run structured postdoctoral scholar programs that welcome new PhD graduates, and national laboratories like Lawrence Berkeley and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory offer postdoctoral fellowships designed for early-career researchers. Presenting at a California-based conference or establishing a direct email relationship with a faculty member whose work aligns with yours significantly improves the odds of landing a first appointment.
Where can I find and apply to postdoctoral researcher jobs in California?
You can find and apply to postdoctoral researcher jobs in California on Migrate Mate, which lists current openings from California employers. Search the roles available, identify the ones that match your research background and career stage, and apply directly through each listing.
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