Computational Biologist I - AI & Protein Modeling

The University of Texas Medical Branch; Galveston (TX); On-site; USD 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

The Zhao Research Group at UTMB Health is seeking a motivated Research Associate I to join a growing interdisciplinary team. The role focuses on physics-informed AI methods for biological systems, spanning molecular biophysics, multi-omics, and drug discovery, with collaborations across UTMB and external institutions.

Ideal candidates have a strong foundation in computational biology, ML, and biology data analysis, plus experience with graph neural networks and large language models.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in basic science or equivalent required.
• Preferred: degrees in CS, bioinfo, computational biology or related quantitative field.
• Strong programming and problem-solving abilities with willingness to learn new computational methods.

Responsibilities

• Under direct supervision, performs standard research assignments involving a series of related operations.
• Sets up and conducts standard research experiments following detailed technical instructions.
• Prepares biological assays and conducts basic quantitative and qualitative analysis.
• Maintains records of all tests performed and data collected.
• Assists in the compilation and tabulation of data and provides preliminary analysis.
• Assembles, calibrates, operates and makes minor modifications to laboratory equipment as defined by guidelines.
• Performs related duties as required.

Skills

Python

Machine learning

Graph neural networks

Deep learning

Biological data analysis

Linux

Git/GitHub

High-performance computing

Communication

Independent work

Team collaboration

Protein structures knowledge

Education

Bachelor's degree in basic science or equivalent

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Physics, Applied Mathematics, Data Science, or related quantitative field

Tools

PyTorch

Linux

Git/GitHub

High-Performance Computing

Job description

The Zhao Research Group at UTMB Health is seeking a motivated Research Associate I to join a growing interdisciplinary team. The role focuses on physics-informed AI methods for biological systems, spanning molecular biophysics, multi-omics, and drug discovery, with collaborations across UTMB and external institutions.

Ideal candidates have a strong foundation in computational biology, ML, and biology data analysis, plus experience with graph neural networks and large language models.