Bakar Postdoctoral Fellowship in Computational Biomedicine

The Bakar Computational Biomedicine Initiative (BCBI) at UC Berkeley and UCSF invites applications for its Postdoctoral Fellows Program, which will recruit exceptional early-career scientists at the forefront of computational biomedicine.

We seek outstanding researchers with training in AI/machine learning, computer science, statistics, mathematics, physics, or related quantitative fields who aim to develop innovative computational and statistical methods that advance biological and biomedical discovery. Fellows will be mentored by world-leading researchers in AI and machine learning while collaborating with the extraordinary biological, experimental, and biomedical research ecosystem spanning UC Berkeley and UCSF. Prior research experience in biology or biomedicine is highly valued but not required; exceptional quantitative scientists seeking to transition into biomedicine are strongly encouraged to apply.

The Fellowship is a two-year appointment, with the possibility of renewal for a third year based on performance. BCBI offers a distinctive model for postdoctoral research designed to foster scientific independence, interdisciplinary collaboration, and close engagement with important problems in biology and medicine: 

• Fellows will have designated computational mentors but will not be confined to a single lab or predefined research program.

   

  Fellows will be encouraged to pursue ambitious research directions and build collaborations with multiple computational and experimental labs across the UC Berkeley-UCSF ecosystem.

   

  Regular working group meetings, workshops, and annual retreats will connect Fellows with a broad scientific community spanning AI, computing, statistics, biology, and medicine, creating opportunities for new ideas and collaborations to emerge across disciplinary boundaries.

   

Prospective applicants are encouraged to read the BCBI Vision Statement to learn more about the Fellowship and the collaborative research environment we seek to create.  Our goal is to cultivate future leaders in computational biomedicine, scientists who can move fluently between computation and experiment; develop innovative methods motivated by fundamental problems in biology and medicine; and catalyze discoveries that would be difficult to achieve within the boundaries of any single discipline or lab.

Qualifications We seek candidates who demonstrate:

• Exceptional academic achievement and significant intellectual contributions to published research.

   

  Exceptional quantitative and computational ability, particularly in AI, machine learning, statistics, or related areas.

   

  Outstanding scientific promise and the ability to articulate ambitious research goals.

   

  Deep intellectual curiosity about biology and biomedicine.

   

  A strong commitment to collaborative, interdisciplinary research.

   

Candidates should have received, or expect to receive, a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree approximately between January 1, 2025, and August 31, 2027.