SCIENTIST II

Position Summary

The University of Alabama at Birmingham, Systems Pharmacology AI Research Center (SPARC), is seeking a Scientist II to join their team. This role is ideal for an early-career researcher with a recent 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, conduct in silico research, and collaborate with experimental and clinical collaborators.

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.

• 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.

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.

• 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.

Salary Range

$74,100 - $120,700