Research Scientist/Engineer 3
About The Position
The Department of Biology has an outstanding opportunity for a Research Scientist 3 to join their team. Reporting to Dr. Bing Wen Brunton, Professor, the Research Scientist 3 is responsible for ongoing research activities in the Brunton Lab. This position will contribute to the field of “embodiment”, which integrates neuroscience with biomechanics, providing novel insight system function. In particular, this position will contribute to a novel research program which harnesses new connectome data for Drosophila with biomechanical data to create an in silico model of the organism, revealing feedback between the body and nervous system that informs organism function. Work will include creating new models across a variety of platforms (including MuJoCo and Python), and also leading junior colleagues to integrate novel software components to existing infrastructure. This role will contribute to ideating new research questions and integrating projects and team members to conduct novel research.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Biology or similar field
- Four years of experience in lab/research experience in neuroscience and/or biomechanics
- Extensive background in Python and software best practices for scientific research, including version control
- Skill in using AI agents to expedite software design
- Experience developing computational models for research questions, including ODE models and MuJoCo
- Experience in machine learning, optimization strategies and scientific computing
- Background in insect anatomy, flight biomechanics and muscle function
- Experience leading first-authored publications and manuscript writing
Nice To Haves
- Capacity to design and build physical models of insect mechanical structures using a variety of materials such as textiles, 3D printed components, cardboard and wood
- Robust understanding of the multi-scale systems enabling insect function which will contribute to critical assessment of the insights from varying levels of model abstraction
- Skilled in creating documentation for scientific code that enhances reproducibility and training resources
- Ability to rapidly integrate new literature to drive novel research progress
Responsibilities
- Produce novel computational models of biological systems (e.g. MuJoCo, MJX, Blender, aerodynamic modeling approaches) 30%
- Apply machine learning and data science expertise (e.g. Python, optimization strategies, RL) 30%
- Research question design and literature review, with focus on Drosophila biomechanics and neuroscience 10%
- Manuscript writing and figure preparation 10%
- Code review, integration and documentation in collaboration with multiple team members 10%
- Collaborating with diverse team members to make design decisions supporting stakeholder needs 5%
- Mentorship and supporting lab meeting organization 5%
Benefits
- Benefits: For information about benefits for this position, visit https://www.washington.edu/jobs/benefits-for-uw-staff/
Stand Out From the Crowd
Upload your resume and get instant feedback on how well it matches this job.
What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Senior
