PhD in Chemistry or Biochemistry
Multiple openings for PhD students are available in the Hao Lab. We accept students from both the chemistry and biochemistry PhD programs at the University of Maryland-College Park. PhD students in the Hao lab will work on exciting bioanalytical/biochemistry research projects to develop mass spectrometry-based methods to study proteins, peptides, lipids, or metabolites in biological samples, and apply these methods to understand human diseases and discover candidate disease biomarkers.
The students will have the opportunities to learn how to develop bioanalytical/biochemistry methods, culture human stem cells and stem cell-derived neurons, prepare biological samples, operate advanced LC-MS instruments, and analyze omics dataset with sophisticated bioinformatic tools. Two brand new LC-MS instrument platforms (Thermo Fisher Astro MS & Exploris Orbitrap MS) have just been installed in the Hao Lab in a newly renovated lab space in the new Chemistry Building.
The students in the Hao lab have exciting opportunities to present at national/international conferences, publish papers, receive awards, and broaden research experience in collaborative and translational research projects. The students in the Hao lab also receive mentorship in designing and executing research projects, scientific writing, presentation, and professional development to better prepare for their future career in either academia or industry.
Research projects: 1) bioanalytical/biochemistry method development; 2) liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry technology advancement; 3) proteomics/peptidomics/lipidomics/metabolomics/multi-omics analysis from biological samples; 4) advanced human stem cell biology and stem cell-derived neuron biology; 5) human disease biomarker discovery; 6) omics bioinformatics.
Requirements for PhD program (full scholarship):
See detailed requirements and instructions here: Graduate Programs in Chemistry and Biochemistry at UMD. The candidates need to have (or will receive) bachelors degree in chemistry, biochemistry or related field with GPA >3.2, and have taken analytical chemistry course. International students need to have TOEFL score >100 with the speaking grade >=24 (Or IELTS score > 7 with a speaking score >=7.5). GRE is optional. Please follow the online instructions to apply on the UMD website by the deadline.
Application deadlines:
Fall 2026 admission: 11/18/2025 (make sure to submit full application package before this date).
PhD students in the Hao Lab are fully funded with salary and tuition support for 12 months annually.
To express interest in joining the Hao lab, please email Dr. Hao (linghao1@umd.edu) with your CV and transcripts.
Location:
The research group is located in the brand new Chemistry research building (opened in 2024) on the University of Maryland-College Park campus. College Park is adjacent to the nation’s capital (Washington D.C) to visit the Smithsonian Museums, Capital Hill, White House, Kennedy Center, etc. The DC-Maryland-Virginia area is a top five hub of biomedical and biotechnology nationally with many job opportunities in biotech companies, government labs, and hospitals (AstraZeneca, GSK, Novavax, NIH, FDA, NIST, NASA, EPA, HHMI, Children’s National Hospital).
Lab website: https://blog.umd.edu/haolab/
PI (Prof. Ling Hao): https://chem.umd.edu/people/ling-hao
New Chemistry Building: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LOvMuabWME
