UNIV - Postdoctoral Scholar - Department of PHS

C001 Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC - Univ); South Carolina; On-site; USD 34,000 - 55,000; Full time

Job summary

The Medical University of South Carolina invites applications for a postdoctoral researcher position in clinical AI and digital health within the Division of Biomedical Informatics & AI. The successful candidate will develop ML and language models using EHR data, wearables, and clinical notes, and contribute to an independent research line in the lab.

Responsibilities include data curation, model development, publishing first-author papers, NIH grant support, and mentoring students.

Qualifications

• PhD in biomedical informatics, computer science/engineering, data science or related field.

Responsibilities

• Acquire, curate and preprocess EHR, clinical notes, wearable and mobile data, and design, train and evaluate machine learning, deep learning and language models.

Skills

Python

ML on health data

Clinical NLP

Transformers

First-author papers

Scientific writing

EHR data

Wearable data

Aging/frailty research

K award interest

Education

PhD (or near completion)

Tools

PyTorch

Job description

Job Description Summary

We are seeking a postdoctoral researcher in clinical AI and digital health to join our research group in the Division of Biomedical Informatics & AI, Department of Public Health Sciences, at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in Charleston. We turn real-world health data into tools that improve care for patients across the lifespan. The postdoc will work closely with Dr. Mamoun Mardini. Our current work spans three connected areas: Clinical language models: extracting clinical information from unstructured EHR notes with domain-specific transformer models and LLMs. AI risk prediction from real-world data: machine learning models built on EHR data for clinical decision support. Wearables and mobile sensing: passive sensing, ecological momentary assessment and digital biomarkers of physical and cognitive function.

Entity Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC - Univ) Worker Type Employee Worker Sub-Type Regular Cost Center CC001038 COM PHS Operations CC Pay Rate Type Hourly Pay Grade University-00 Pay Range 0.00 - 0.00 - 0.000 Scheduled Weekly Hours 40 Work Shift

Job Description

The postdoc will contribute to ongoing lab projects and build an independent research line within the lab's clinical AI program.

Job Duties:

• 35% Acquire, curate and preprocess EHR, clinical notes, wearable and mobile data, and design, train and evaluate machine learning, deep learning and language models.
• 25% Lead analyses and first-author manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals and conferences, and present findings at national meetings (e.g., AMIA, IEEE, GSA).
• 10% Contribute to NIH grant proposals, including preliminary data and aims development.
• 20% Work with collaborators to define clinically meaningful outcomes and validate models.
• 10% Help mentor graduate and undergraduate students in the lab.

Preferred Qualifications:

• PhD (or completion before the start date) in biomedical informatics, computer science/engineering, data science, biomedical engineering, biostatistics or a related field.
• Strong programming skills in Python; experience with PyTorch or similar deep learning frameworks.
• Hands-on experience with machine learning on real-world health data.
• A record of first-author publications and clear scientific writing.
• Experience with clinical NLP, transformer models or LLMs (fine-tuning, prompting, retrieval-augmented generation).
• Experience with EHR data, wearable sensor data or ecological momentary assessment.
• Familiarity with aging, frailty or perioperative research.
• Interest in pursuing a K award or other early-career funding.

Physical Requirements:

• (Note: The following descriptions are applicable to this section: Continuous - 6-8 hours per shift; Frequent - 2-6 hours per shift; Infrequent - 0-2 hours per shift)
• Ability to perform job functions in an upright position.
• (Continuous) Ability to perform job functions in a seated position.
• (Continuous) Ability to perform job functions while walking/mobile.
• (Frequent) Ability to climb stairs.
• (Infrequent) Ability to work indoors.
• (Continuous) Ability to work in all cold temperature extremes, i.e. spot coolers.
• (Frequent) Ability to bend at the waist.
• (Frequent) Ability to twist at the waist.
• (Frequent) Ability to perform 'pinching' operations.
• (Continuous) Ability to fully use both hands/arms.
• (Continuous) Ability to perform repetitive motions with hands/wrists/elbows and shoulders.
• (Continuous) Ability to fully use both legs.
• (Continuous) Ability to reach in all directions.
• (Continuous) Possess good finger dexterity.
• (Continuous) Ability to maintain tactile sensory functions.
• (Continuous) Ability to maintain good olfactory sensory function.
• (Continuous) Ability to lift and carry 15 lbs., unassisted.
• (Frequent) Ability to lift objects, up to 15 lbs., from floor level to height of 72 inches, unassisted.
• (Frequent) Ability to lower objects, up to 15 lbs., from height of 72 inches to floor level, unassisted.
• (Frequent) Ability to push/pull objects, up to 15 lbs., unassisted.
• (Infrequent) Ability to lift and carry objects up to 15 lbs. a distance of five (5) floors and to outlying buildings.
• (Frequent) Ability to maintain 20/40 vision, corrected.
• (Continuous) Ability to see and recognize objects close at hand.
• (Continuous) Ability to see and recognize objects at a distance.
• (Continuous) Ability to match or discriminate between colors.
• (Continuous) Ability to determine distance/relationship between objects; depth perception.
• (Continuous) Good peripheral vision capabilities.
• (Continuous) Ability to maintain hearing acuity, with correction.
• (Continuous) Ability to perform gross motor functions with frequent fine motor movements.
• (Continuous) Ability to be qualified physically (by medical personnel) for respirator use, initially and annually.
• Ability to work alone in isolated areas, such as darkrooms.
• (Frequent)

Additional New Requirements:

• Ability to obtain and maintain a valid drivers license.
• Computer literacy.
• Ability to work rotating shifts as required.
• Ability to work overtime as required.
• Ability to learn and use new processes, tools and equipment as required.

If you like working with energetic enthusiastic individuals, you will enjoy your career with us!

The Medical University of South Carolina is an Equal Opportunity Employer. MUSC does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion or belief, age, sex, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, protected veteran status, family or parental status, or any other status protected by state laws and/or federal regulations. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment based upon applicable qualifications, merit and business need.

Medical University of South Carolina participates in the federal E-Verify program to confirm the identity and employment authorization of all newly hired employees. For further information about the E-Verify program, please click here: http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify/employees

Thank you for wanting to be part of the Medical University of South Carolina team. Whether you want to teach the next generation of health care leaders, innovate new business models, discover the next breakthrough or provide patient care, there's a role for you that fuels your passion and takes advantage of your skills. There are career opportunities available in academics, research, hospital medicine, physician practices and support services, from patient billing to IT. As an applicant, you can search jobs for all MUSC entities as well as search by category and location. MUSC attracts more than $250 million annually in research funding, making it the biggest magnet for biomedical, extramural research dollars of all institutions of higher learning in South Carolina. The Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) Program aims to advance clinical and translational science to increase the speed at which new treatments become available to patients. MUSC Health, the clinical enterprise, operates a 750 bed medical center, which includes a nationally recognized Children’s Hospital, the Ashley River Tower (cardiovascular, digestive disease, and surgical oncology), Hollings Cancer Center (one of fewer than 70 elite National Cancer Institute designated centers), a Level I Trauma Center and the Institute of Psychiatry. In addition, there are more than 100 outreach clinics, hospital/health system affiliations, and telehealth sites. U.S. News & World Report placed us among the top one percent of all American hospitals, with 11 specialties in the top 50. The MUSC Medical Center is also one of only three Magnet® designated hospitals in South Carolina.