Join Us

Join Our Team

The Nishitani Lab is a brand new research group launching in October 2026 at Tohoku University. We are currently seeking highly motivated and curious founding members who are excited to build a positive and collaborative lab culture together from the ground up.

Prospective Graduate Students

We seek highly motivated and curious individuals passionate about nanotechnolgy, chemistry, biomolecular engineering, mateiral science, and biology. English is the official language of the lab. While official scores are not strictly required, an English proficiency level equivalent to a TOEFL iBT score of 90 or higher, or an IELTS score of 6.5 or higher (or a Duolingo English Test score of 115+) is highly preferred as a guideline for smooth scientific communication.

Our Co-Mentorship System:
As a unique independent lab located at the Institute of Multidisciplinary Research for Advanced Materials (IMRAM), we operate under a highly collaborative co-mentorship system. Students will officially enroll under the joint supervision of our senior partner professors, while conducting their primary research in our lab.

We currently partner with the following professors for student enrollment:

Financial Support

In Japan, the financial support environment for Ph.D. students has dramatically improved. At Tohoku University, there are robust funding mechanisms designed to financialize and support talented researchers. We are fully committed to helping our students secure competitive funding so they can focus entirely on their research without financial stress. We actively guide and support our students in applying for the following major fellowships: JST SPRING Program, JSPS Research Fellowship (DC1/DC2), MEXT Scholarship, and other Private Foundations.

How to Apply

If you are interested in joining us, please send an email to Dr. Shoichi Nishitani at snishitani@berkeley.edu with the CV and Cover Letter attached in PDF format.

Postdoctoral Researchers

We are looking for highly motivated and ambitious researchers who are eager to leverage their core expertise while boldly jumping into new, interdisciplinary research fields.

Fellowship Application Support

We are fully committed to supporting postdoctoral candidates in securing independent funding. If you have recently completed your Ph.D. or are expecting to graduate soon, we strongly encourage you to contact us as early as possible. We will work closely with you to prepare competitive proposals for domestic and international fellowships, including:

How to Apply

If you are interested in joining us as a postdoc, please send an email to Dr. Shoichi Nishitani at snishitani@berkeley.edu with the following documents attached in PDF format:

  • CV (Curriculum Vitae): Please include a full list of publications and previous research experience.
  • Cover Letter (1 page max): Briefly describe your research background, why you want to join our lab, and you want to accomplish in the lab.