Top 10 jobs on ResearchGate

Insights into the most sought after jobs on ResearchGate.

We’ve gone through the top jobs on ResearchGate. Here they are, ranked according to views.

1. Condensed matter physics
Far-from-Equilibrium Field Theory of Many-Body Quantum Spin Systems. Credit: Harvard University

Condensed Matter Physics is one sub-field of physics that is helping achieve physics’ holy grail: quantum computing. Quantum mechanics and the principle of superposition means data or “qubits” on a quantum computer can be stored as a 1 and a 0 at the same time. If you do the math that means two bits of data can be stored as four values simultaneously: 00, 01, 11, and 10. This would make a quantum computer a significantly more powerful computer than what we currently have.

2. Nanotechnology and nanomaterials

Nanoscale-level coating of zinc oxide on top of a copper plate. Credit: Oregon State University.

When the size of something needs to be discussed in atoms – the very foundation of matter –  the electronic, magnetic, and mechanical behavior of a material completely changes. Understanding these changes at the nanoscale for living cells, designer polymers, optoelectronic materials, surface coatings, and metals would be this researcher’s job.

3. Pharmacology

Credit: Wikipedia

By understanding how a drug affects living systems scientists can pave the way for the discovery of new drugs. Combating cocaine addiction with injections, understanding the extreme longevity of naked mole rats and why histamine doesn’t make them itch all fall within pharmacology.

4. Laser micro processing 

Credit: matthewvenn

When the object is small (really small) lasers are ideal for cutting, etching and drilling it, especially on hard materials like diamond and silicon. Lasers can drill a hole less than ten microns in diameter or add a feature on the order of tens of microns, to get an idea of how small that is, a human hair is usually between 17 and 171 microns thick.

5. Non-destructive testing

Testing F1 car part. Credit: Caterham F1

Nondestructive testing is used to examine and evaluate an object without causing it damage. Researchers can test an object’s residual stress with micro magnets or determine the thickness of a pipeline wall using electromagnetic acoustics.

6. Biological sciences - cancer research

Credit: NIH Image Gallery.

Cancer is not a single disease, but more than 200. It afflicts 14.1 million people each year and nearly 8.2 million of those people will die. Cancer research is varied and understandably critical. One particularly exciting area of cancer research is cancer immunotherapy which harnesses the immune system to fight cancer. Looking at how to best personalize immunotherapy, the potential for cancer vaccines, or how to target specific tumor cells with immunotherapy are all in a researcher's purview.

7. Optics and photonics
Credit: Sam Berry.

Optics and photonics is all about making light practical. It covers the fundamentals of light from high-energy gamma rays and X-rays, through the optical regime of ultraviolet, visible, and infrared light, to long-wavelength microwave and radio waves. Technologies harnessing optics and photonics are ubiquitous: mobile phones, car headlights, computer screen and vital medical imaging equipment (CAT, MRI and PET).

8. Battery technology
Tesla Motor. Credit: Steve Jurvetson

Battery technology is one of the most exciting research areas in the world. Everyday new developments spring up from Tesla’s new battery pack that increases acceleration and nearly doubles the lifespan of their existing battery options and MIT’s liquid battery to Christopher Bettinger’s edible battery.

9. Aerospace engineering
The space shuttle Endeavour. Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls

Aerospace Engineering is all about the design, manufacture and operation of vehicles that will either stay within earth’s atmosphere or go far beyond it. Every detail of the vehicle is critical from designing panels that are able to morph and change shape with an electric current, how the electrical thrusters perform, to an elastic turbine blade that is able to respond to difference wind conditions.

10. Power engineering
Credit: Alex Lang.

Power engineers work with the generation and transmission of electric power. Optimizing solar powered systems, helping understand how traditional villages in China are transitioning to the use of power, or developing clean energy solutions in cement plants are all in a day’s work.

Featured image courtesy of flickr.