Post-Doctoral Associate - Jackson Lab

Posting Details

Position Details

Posting Number G / R27639P

Working Title Post-Doctoral Associate - Jackson Lab

Department CAES-Crop & Soil Sciences

About the University of Georgia

Since our founding in 1785, the University of Georgia has operated as Georgia's oldest, most comprehensive, and most diversified institution of higher education ( ). The proof is in our more than 235 years of academic and professional achievements and our continual commitment to higher education. UGA is currently ranked among the top 20 public universities in U.S. News & World Report. The University's main campus is located in Athens, approximately 65 miles northeast of Atlanta, with extended campuses in Atlanta, Griffin, Gwinnett, and Tifton. UGA employs approximately 3,000 faculty and more than 7,700 full-time staff. The University's enrollment exceeds 40,000 students including over 30,000 undergraduates and over 10,000 graduate and professional students. Academic programs reside in 18 schools and colleges, as well as a medical partnership with Augusta University housed on the UGA Health Sciences Campus in Athens.

About the College / Unit / Department

College / Unit / Department website

Employment Type Employee

Additional Schedule Information

M-F 8AM-5PM, hours may vary.

Advertised Salary Commensurate with Experience

Anticipated Start Date 12 / 01 / 2024

Posting Date 10 / 30 / 2024

Closing Date

Open Until Filled Yes

Special Instructions to Applicants

Location of Vacancy Athens Area

EOO Statement

The University of Georgia is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ethnicity, age, genetic information, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation or protected veteran status. Persons needing accommodations or assistance with the accessibility of materials related to this search are encouraged to contact Central HR (hrweb@uga.edu).

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Additionally, USG supports Freedom of Expression as stated in Board Policy 6.5 Freedom of Expression and Academic Freedom found online at .

Duties / Responsibilities

Duties / Responsibilities

Develop biologically-consistent machine learning algorithms / solutions for plant / animal genomics (e.g. sequence level Large Language Models (LLMs) to omic level interactions with graph neural networks (GNNs) )

Percentage of time 30 Duties / Responsibilities

Leverage models to generate testable hypotheses on gene regulation's role in improving known or developing novel plant traits. Doing so in zero-shot, one-shot, and multi-shot experimental campaigns.

Percentage of time 30 Duties / Responsibilities

Explore the use of Scientific AI Agents for exploring and optimizing plant traits through the compiling of out-of-domain open-source data, in-domain high-fidelity data, and access to query, and iterate over, new experiments.

Percentage of time 30 Duties / Responsibilities

Career development in a highly interactive and interdisciplinary environment

Percentage of time 10

Position Details

Position Information

Classification Title Post-Doctoral Associate AD

FLSA Exempt

UGA Job Code

FTE 1.00

Minimum Qualifications

Position Summary

Does solving challenging biological and computational questions with novel algorithms and genomic data that can transform agriculture excite you? Does working at the intersection of applied mathematics / engineering, genomics / epigenomics and plant biology interest you?

Join a team of researchers at the University of Georgia working to unravel how genomic sequences and epigenetic data affect gene regulation and plant development and build the next generation of "biologically-consistent" AI models that will reimagine the potential of plant systems. We are exploring new algorithmic approaches, including biologically-informed Machine Learning / AI (e.g. Large Language Models, Graph Neural Networks) and active learning, to derive biological insights into genome organization, structure and function as it relates to how genes are regulated, interact, and, ultimately, lead to new phenotypes.

As a Postdoctoral Associate, the primary foci will be to work with large genomic and phenotypic data sets to integrate across biological scales and derive new hypotheses about gene function that can be tested. You will work in close collaboration with Scott Jackson (UGA-Crop and Soils Sciences), Bob Schmitz (UGA-Genetics) and Ethan Pickering (UGA and Bayer Crop Science).

Relevant / Preferred Education, Experience, Licensure, Certification in Position

Ph.D. in engineering, computational biology, computer science, mathematics, statistics, or a related discipline, or Biology-related discipline with relevant experience.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities and / or Competencies

• Knowledge of any of the following : data-driven model development, machine learning, deep learning, linear algebra, optimization, neural networks (LLMs, GNNs, etc.) or gaussian process regression, active learning, Bayesian experimental design, Bayesian optimization
• Knowledge in coding, e.g. Python, Matlab, and building open-sourced packages.
• A strong track record of research publications

Physical Demands

Lifting 25 lbs, prolonged sitting at office desk.

Is this a Position of Trust? Yes

Does this position have operation, access, or control of financial resources? No

Does this position require a P-Card? No

Is having a P-Card an essential function of this position? No

Is driving a requirement of this position? No

Does this position have direct interaction or care of children under the age of 18 or direct patient care? No

Does this position have Security Access (e.g., public safety, IT security, personnel records, patient records, or access to chemicals and medications) Yes

Background Investigation Policy

Offers of employment are contingent upon completion of a background investigation including, a criminal background check demonstrating your eligibility for employment with the University of Georgia; confirmation of the credentials and employment history reflected in your application materials (including reference checks) as they relate to the job-based requirements of the position applied for; and, if applicable, a satisfactory credit check. You may also be subject to a pre-employment drug test for positions with high-risk responsibilities, if applicable. Please visit the UGA Background Check website .

Contact Information

Recruitment Contact

Contact Details

For questions concerning this position or recruitment progression, please refer to the Recruitment Contact listed below.

Recruitment Contact Name Scott Jackson

Recruitment Contact Email sjackson@uga.edu

Recruitment Contact Phone

Posting Specific Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (

Optional Documents