SCIENTIST II

University of Alabama at Birmingham; Birmingham (AL); On-site; USD 74,000 - 121,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Systems Pharmacology AI Research Center (SPARC) seeks a Scientist II to advance AI-driven drug discovery. The role targets early-career researchers with a PhD in biomedical informatics, computing, data science, AI, or related fields, to develop novel AI models and collaborate with experimental teams in a lab-in-the-loop framework.

Responsibilities include securing extramural funding as a Co-Investigator, contributing to SPARC service activities,

Qualifications

• PhD or MD/DO/DVM with related research experience preferred.
• Experience in biomedical informatics, computing, data science or AI-related fields.
• Excellent communication and collaboration skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop AI models and software for SPARC's drug discovery pipeline.
• Collaborate with experimental teams in lab-in-the-loop studies.
• Contribute to grant proposals as a Co-Investigator.
• Provide SPARC services including reproducibility tooling and codebases.
• Draft manuscripts and progress reports for sponsors.
• Foster collaborations within UAB and with external partners.
• Mentor junior researchers and trainees.

Job description

Position Summary

The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Systems Pharmacology AI Research Center (SPARC), is in search of a Scientist II to join their team. This role is designed for an early-career researcher who recently completed (preferably within the last 10 years) a PhD in biomedical informatics, computing, data science, artificial intelligence, or a closely related field. The selected candidate will develop novel AI models and software systems that form essential components of SPARC's AI-accelerated drug discovery pipeline, conduct in silico computational research, and partner with experimental collaborators in a lab-in-the-loop mode with UAB, regional, and national groups. The Scientist II is expected to contribute meaningfully to obtaining AI drug discovery research funding as a Co-Investigator on grant proposals, to perform SPARC service activities not covered by existing external funding, and to author scientific manuscripts and progress reports. Active research areas include protein and antibody design, novel AI approaches to molecular dynamics simulations, agentic AI and autonomous systems for science, clinical trial simulations, virtual cell modeling, multi-modal drug discovery, retrosynthesis, and AI for science more broadly. SPARC offers a collaborative, computationally rich environment with GPU/HPC infrastructure, large biomedical data assets, and tight partnerships across the UAB School of Medicine. To fully appreciate the scope of this Scientist II position, it is essential to underscore SPARC's expectation that the incumbent will develop novel AI models and software systems that become essential components of the center's AI-accelerated drug discovery pipeline, perform genuine in silico research, and partner with experimental and clinical collaborators in a lab-in-the-loop mode with UAB, regional, and national groups. The Scientist II is also expected to contribute as a Co-Investigator to extramural grant proposals that obtain AI drug discovery research funding, to perform SPARC service work not covered by existing external funding, to author scientific manuscripts and progress reports, and to develop active research collaborations. Excellent office, programming, and written/verbal communication skills are essential.

General Responsibilities

• To employ a broad knowledge of principles, practices and procedures in a particular field of specialization.
• To plan, design and conduct research and present findings.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

• Develop Novel AI Models and Software Systems for the AI-Accelerated Drug Discovery Pipeline: Design, implement, benchmark, and ship novel AI/ML models and reusable software components that become essential building blocks of SPARC's AI-accelerated drug discovery pipeline spanning protein/antibody design, AI for molecular dynamics, virtual cell modeling, multi-modal drug discovery, retrosynthesis, agentic AI, and clinical trial simulation.
• Perform In Silico and Lab-in-the-Loop Research Studies: Conduct computational research studies and partner with experimental collaborators at UAB, regional, and national institutions in a lab-in-the-loop mode, iterating between AI predictions and wet-lab or clinical validation to accelerate scientific discovery.
• Obtain Research Funding as Co-Investigator on AI Drug Discovery Grants: Contribute substantively to extramural grant proposals (NIH, NSF, DOD, foundation, and industry) as a Co-Investigator, drafting aims, preliminary data, computational specifications, and budget components to secure AI drug discovery research funding for SPARC.
• Provide SPARC Center Service Not Covered by External Funding: Perform technical, infrastructure, and project-support service activities for SPARC initiatives that are not already covered by external funding, including shared codebases, model registries, GPU/HPC workflows, reproducibility tooling, and internal pilot studies.
• Author Scientific Manuscripts and Progress Reports: Draft and submit manuscripts to peer-reviewed venues; prepare progress reports for sponsors and internal SPARC leadership; contribute to grant-renewal documentation and conference presentations.
• Develop Active Research Collaborations Across UAB and Beyond: Initiate and sustain active research collaborations with UAB faculty, regional research institutions, and national academic and industry partners. Represent SPARC at scientific meetings and joint working sessions.
• Mentor and Train Junior Researchers: Mentor undergraduate students, graduate trainees, and post-doctoral fellows in modern AI methods, computational reproducibility, and scientific communication.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Salary Range

$ 74,100- $ 120,700

Qualifications

Doctor of Philosophy, D.V.M. or M.D. degree in a related field and four (4) years of related experience OR M.D. and Master's degree and two (2) years of related experience OR Master's degree and six (6) years of related experience OR Bachelor's degree and eight (8) years of related experience required. Work experience may NOT substitute for education requirement.

Preferences

• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in biomedical informatics, computing, computer science, data science, artificial intelligence, or a closely related field.
• PhD completed within the last 10 years preferred.

Equal Employment/Equal Educational Opportunity Statement

UAB is an Equal Employment/Equal Educational Opportunity Institution dedicated to providing equal opportunities and equal access to all individuals regardless of race, color, religion, ethnic or national origin, sex (including pregnancy), genetic information, age, disability, and veteran's status. As required by Title IX, UAB prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity that it operates. Individuals may report concerns or questions to UAB's Assistant Vice President and Senior Title IX Coordinator. The Title IX notice of nondiscrimination is located at uab.edu/titleix.

Job Category

Scientific Research

Organization

393001000 Systems Pharmacology AI Research Center (SPARC)

Employee Status

Regular

Shift

Day/1st Shift

Work Arrangement (final schedule to be determined by the department/hiring manager)

Onsite