Bakar Research Investigator in Computational Biomedicine Full-time

Bakar Research Investigator in Computational Biomedicine

The Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences (BTS) seeks individuals for appointment to the Bakar Computational Biomedicine Institute (BCBI), a joint institute of UC Berkeley and UCSF. The positions will be Bakar Research Investigators in Computational Biomedicine. This is an independent research position, not a conventional postdoctoral appointment. Bakar Research Investigators hold principal investigator status, set their own scientific direction, and receive substantial dedicated annual research funding to pursue ambitious projects of their own design. Appointments are for up to four years and will have access to resources and collaborations across both institutes.

BCBI recruits at two levels, and the two programs are intended for different candidates. Candidates for this position, as a Bakar Research Investigator, should be ready for independence now. They arrive with a concrete vision for their own research program, they define their own questions, and they hold the funding to pursue them. A Baka Research Investigator is not assigned to a faculty member's laboratory, is not hired onto a predefined project, and is not a supervised trainee. In contrast, candidates seeking a mentored training position should apply to the Bakar Postdoctoral Fellows Program, which is designed for early-career scientists who work with designated computational mentors as they build toward independence.

Bakar Research Investigators will be computational innovators who develop new AI, machine learning, statistical, and other computational methods motivated by important problems in biology and medicine. They will lead independent research programs. We also expect them to enrich BCBI's broader computational community, contributing new ideas and expertise to collaborations with experimental and biomedical researchers, and catalyzing research across labs, disciplines, and campuses.

BCBI sits within an unusual concentration of biological, therapeutic, and clinical research. At UC Berkeley, the Innovative Genomics Institute advances genome engineering toward accessible solutions in human health, and the Molecular Therapeutics Initiative brings together disease biology, chemistry, structural biology, data science, and biotechnology to tackle challenging disease targets. At UCSF and Gladstone, the Bakar Aging Research Institute, the Bakar Ear and Hearing Institute, and the Gladstone-UCSF Genomic Immunology Institute address aging, hearing and balance disorders, and the human immune system. The Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center integrates basic science, clinical research, population science, and patient care. The Bakar ImmunoX Initiative and the Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute provide shared technologies, data infrastructure, and expertise for immunology and precision medicine. Together these units give Bakar Research Investigators direct access to collaborations to answer biological questions, access experimental technologies, interrogate biomedical data, and address clinical challenges that few computational researchers can reach.

Required Qualifications: A PhD or equivalent doctoral degree (by hire date) in computer science, statistics, mathematics, physics, computational biology, bioengineering, or a related quantitative field. Candidates are expected to have 0-3 years of postdoctoral experience. Candidates must meet the required qualifications at the time of appointment. Candidate's application materials must state qualifications (or if pending) upon submission.

Preferred Qualifications: A record of methodological innovation in AI, machine learning, statistics, or related computational areas. A publication record demonstrating significant and identifiable intellectual contributions. A concrete and ambitious vision for an independent research program. Evidence of productive collaboration with experimental or clinical researchers. Experience mentoring graduate students or junior scientists. Prior research experience in biology or biomedicine is valued but not required, and exceptional quantitative scientists seeking to move into biomedicine are encouraged to apply.

Application Instructions: We will review applications for this position until filled. Applicants must include:

1. Biosketch/Curriculum Vitae – note that while we will accept any format, we prefer a NIH Biographical Sketch Common Form with the with the NIH Biographical Sketch Supplement as prepared in ScienCV.
2. A description of future research plans; Ideally, this is 2 pages, including figures – but not including references.
3. Contact information for three references. Questions about the position may be directed to james.fraser@ucsf.edu

See Table 13B for the salary range for this position. A reasonable estimate for this position is $96,700-$257,100.