Associate in Research

Duke; Durham (NC); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A prestigious university in North Carolina is seeking an Associate in Research within its Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics. The role involves developing advanced machine-learning models for large-scale biological data and collaborating with a diverse team. Candidates should have a Master’s degree in a quantitative field, strong programming skills, and experience with machine-learning frameworks like PyTorch or TensorFlow. This hybrid-eligible position offers a chance to contribute to impactful AI and genomics research.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Computer Science, Statistics, Biostatistics, Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, or a related quantitative field.
• Strong programming skills.
• Experience with machine‑learning frameworks such as PyTorch or TensorFlow.
• Experience working with large‑scale datasets and computational workflows.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement transformer‑based and deep‑learning models for large‑scale biological datasets.
• Process, curate, and analyze single‑cell and multi‑omics datasets, including perturbation data.
• Maintain and optimize computational pipelines and model‑training workflows in high‑performance computing environments.
• Collaborate with the Principal Investigator, postdoctoral fellows, and students to advance research objectives and project milestones.
• Support reproducible research, including workflow documentation, manuscript preparation, and grant‑related deliverables.

Skills

Programming skills

Machine learning frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow)

Data analysis

Computational workflows

Education

Master’s degree in a relevant field

Tools

High-performance computing (HPC)

Job description

Biostatistics & Bioinformatics – Associate Research

Duke University School of Medicine invites applications for the position of Associate in Research within the Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics. This interdisciplinary role focuses on advanced machine‑learning and transformer‑based modeling of large‑scale biological data, including single‑cell multi‑omics and perturbation datasets.

Be You

The Department values an inclusive community of learners, investigators, clinicians, and staff. Your work will contribute to cutting‑edge projects at the intersection of artificial intelligence, genomics, and biomedical discovery.

Be Bold

Key responsibilities include:

• Develop and implement transformer‑based and deep‑learning models for large‑scale biological datasets.
• Process, curate, and analyze single‑cell and multi‑omics datasets, including perturbation data.
• Maintain and optimize computational pipelines and model‑training workflows in high‑performance computing environments.
• Collaborate with the Principal Investigator, postdoctoral fellows, and students to advance research objectives and project milestones.
• Support reproducible research, including workflow documentation, manuscript preparation, and grant‑related deliverables.

Minimum Requirements

• Master’s degree in Computer Science, Statistics, Biostatistics, Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, or a related quantitative field.
• Strong programming skills.
• Experience with machine‑learning frameworks such as PyTorch or TensorFlow.
• Experience working with large‑scale datasets and computational workflows.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with transformer models or foundation models.
• Experience analyzing single‑cell or other high‑dimensional biological datasets.
• Familiarity with GPU computing and high‑performance computing (HPC) environments.

Other Requirements

• Ability to work collaboratively with researchers across computational and biomedical disciplines.
• Strong organizational and documentation skills to support reproducible research workflows.
• This position is hybrid eligible; the employee must reside in a Duke University‑approved state.

Choose Duke

The Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics is a globally recognized leader in biostatistics, data science, and AI‑driven biomedical research. Our faculty collaborate across Duke’s medical and data science communities to develop innovative computational methods that advance precision medicine and biological discovery.

By joining our team, you will work on cutting‑edge AI and genomics research, collaborate with a diverse group of scientists and trainees, and contribute to impactful projects that translate computational advances into real‑world biomedical insights.

Duke is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to your age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy‑related conditions), sexual orientation, or military status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. All members of our community are expected to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions

Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essential job functions that require specific physical or mental abilities. Additional information and accommodation requests will be provided by the hiring department.

Nearest Major Market: Durham
Nearest Secondary Market: Raleigh

Read more about Duke’s commitment to affirmative action and nondiscrimination at hr.duke.edu/eeo.