Research Scientist, Data Analysis
About The Position
Arbor is a nonprofit research organization dedicated to solving complex problems in clinical neuroscience, specifically focusing on changing brain circuits by design. Millions of individuals suffer from conditions like depression and chronic pain for whom current treatments are ineffective. Arbor aims to improve neuromodulation techniques, such as electrical stimulation, focused ultrasound, and magnetic stimulation, by making them more reliable and predictable. The organization is developing an experimental platform that includes the Forest 1 ultrasound system for imaging brain activity and will soon incorporate stimulation capabilities. They are also integrating electrode-based interfaces in animal studies. The goal is to use the collected data to build models that enhance the predictability of neuromodulation. Arbor operates as a Focused Research Organization within the Convergent Research family and is the new identity for Forest Neurotech. As a mission-focused nonprofit, they undertake multidisciplinary translational work that may not fit traditional research or company roadmaps. The organization has secured initial funding and is a small team, offering a unique opportunity for early hires to significantly influence Arbor's future.
Requirements
- A strong quantitative background: a PhD, or comparable training in an equally demanding environment such as industry
- Real depth in several of: signal processing, statistics and inference, machine learning, medical or brain imaging analysis, control theory, computational neuroscience
- Strong coding skills
- A significant body of independent work you can point to
- The judgment to tell a problem that can be solved with standard statistical methods from one that requires a more sophisticated approach – and the discipline to prefer the simpler answer
- A self-starter with the skills and instinct to find the shortest effective path to the scientific goal, rather than the most interesting one
- Directness without friction – you say what you think, ask when you don't know, and aren't looking to compete with your colleagues
- You need to want a neuroscience background.
- Some of the best people to have worked on these problems originally came from another field.
Nice To Haves
- experience in a professional software development environment
- a public record of algorithm or code development on GitHub or similar
- experience with ultrasound, neural, or medical imaging data
- prior work in a research setting where you had to build the tooling yourself
Responsibilities
- Own analysis of Arbor's experimental data, including functional ultrasound imaging and electrophysiology, along with the tooling that supports it
- Work with the experimental team from study design through interpretation, so we answer the highest-priority questions
- Develop image processing tools: registration and alignment, artifact handling, and whatever else the data demands
- Help design algorithms for intervention optimization and adaptive experiment design
- Develop online and real-time analysis methods to support closed-loop experiments
- Build methods for integrating data across modalities and scales
- Contribute to high-level scientific decisions about where the organization is going
Benefits
- Medical, dental, and vision – most plans fully covered for you and your dependents
- 401(k) with up to 6% match
- Company-paid life and AD&D, with voluntary supplemental options
- 15 holidays plus a floating day for your birthday
- 3 weeks PTO increasing with tenure, and separate sick leave
- Arbor will consider sponsorship for U.S. work authorization case by case. Sponsorship isn't guaranteed, and immigration timelines can affect start dates. Where we sponsor, we cover the legal and government fees.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Entry Level
Education Level
Ph.D. or professional degree
