National Postdoc Appreciation Week, September 17-21, is an annual celebration of postdoctoral contributions in research and teaching, sponsored by the National Postdoc Association.
CU Boulder’s Research & Innovation Office (RIO) and the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA) are leveraging this national effort to acknowledge the significant impact of the university’s approximately 350 postdoctoral scholars.
In addition to OPA, housed within RIO, the CU Boulder postdoc community is supported by the Postdoctoral Association of Colorado Boulder (PAC Boulder), an all-volunteer group run by postdocs for postdocs.
Postdocs at CU Boulder are impacting research by accelerating knowledge in the social, physical and biological sciences, engineering and mathematics, and also by advancing technology, infrastructure and policy worldwide.
In recognition of National Postdoc Appreciation Week, enjoy the stories of just a few CU Boulder postdocs who are making a real difference at the university and beyond.
Galaxy crashes and black holes
Black holes are a source of mystery and intrigue in our cosmos. Postdoc Scott Barrows of the Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy (CASA) found a source for fostering black holes: violent galaxy crashes. Barrows and his mentor, Julie Comerford, presented their findings at the 232nd meeting of the American Astronomical Society in Denver earlier this summer. Read about Barrows’ work: Tumultuous galaxy mergers better at switching on black holes.
Water supplies in remote locales
Alice Hill’s passion for the outdoors has fueled her research and scientific interests. From glaciers in British Columbia to rivers in Central Asia, Hill has examined water supply issues in remote settings. A postdoc with appointments in Geography, INSTAAR, and the National Snow & Ice Data Center, Hill is in high demand. Learn about Hill’s work in Turning a love for the outdoors into PhD science.
Pathways regulating pain
Postdoc Pavel Goldstein of CU’s Institute for Cognitive Science (ICS) and Psychology & Neuroscience department knows pain. Goldstein works in the 
Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Lab (CANLab), which investigates the brain pathways regulating pain. The lab recently partnered with a Denver IT startup to more effectively combat chronic pain for millions around the world. Given the collaboration with the private sector, Goldstein’s work was featured on the Tech Transfer Office’s CANLab looks to technology collaboration to boost pain research and treatment.
Quantum mechanics
Peter Bierhorst, a postdoctoral researcher at NIST and the Department of Physics, developed a process for generating random numbers using quantum mechanics. This has significant implications for data encryption and computer security. The work was featured in CU Boulder Today and Nature.
Learn more about National Postdoc Appreciation Week events or the services OPA makes available to postdocs throughout the year.