"Post Doctoral Fellow - School of Computing"

NLM Training Grant (T15) Funded Postdoctoral Position in Biomedical Informatics and Data Science for Health Equity (SC BIDS4Health)

South Carolina Biomedical Data Science and Informatics (BDSI) program seeks to fill a new NLM training grant-funded postdoctoral position. BDSI (established in Fall of 2017) is an interdisciplinary and joint program between the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and Clemson University. BDSI program applies concepts and methods from computer science and other quantitative disciplines together with principles of information science to solve challenging problems in biology, medicine, and public health. Specialized tracks currently include precision medicine, population health, and clinical and translational informatics. The program is a unique collaboration for transformation of the health systems of South Carolina that leverages Clemson University's strengths in computing, engineering, and public health and MUSC's expertise in biomedical sciences and healthcare delivery. The program is based on integrating core competencies from the fields of biomedical informatics (Kulikowski et al. 2012, Valenta et al. 2018) and data science (Margolis et al. 2014).

The NIH/NLM T15 program (https://www.nlm.nih.gov/ep/GrantTrainInstitute.html) currently supports 18 top biomedical informatics and data science academic programs in the USA. This position is funded by a T15 award to MUSC and Clemson University (https://medicine.musc.edu/departments/centers/bmic/informatics-training).

We offer team mentorship by focusing on unique and distinct needs of each trainee using robust individual development plans. BDSI faculty at Medical University of South Carolina and Clemson University have diverse academic and clinical expertise and established academic records. Under the guidance of our faculty, the trainees will develop analytical, academic, management, and mentorship skills to further advance their careers. The position comes with support for travel to scientific meetings and workshops and additional funding for research training-related expenses. SC BIDS4Health is committed to diversity and strongly encourages applications from individuals in groups that are underrepresented in the biomedical sciences.

Faculty mentorship: The postdoctoral researcher will have the opportunity to work with one or more of the following faculty members, depending on mutual research interests:

• Dr. Andy Duan is a Program Director in the Directorate for Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) at the National Science Foundation (NSF) and a Professor in the School of Computing at Clemson University. His research includes Computer Vision, Machine Learning, Computer Graphics, Virtual Reality and Biomedical Imaging, and AI-enhanced healthcare. He has been collaborating with clinicians on research for 3D face recognition and 3D brain imaging for autism subgroup phenotyping and genotyping, digital pathology, and 3D multi-organ segmentation to support Stereotactic MRI guided online Adaptive Radiotherapy (SMART).
• Dr. Xia Jing is an Associate Professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences at Clemson University. Her research interests include interoperability, clinical decision support, knowledge engineering and management, hypothesis generation in clinical research, ethics of AI in biomedical fields, and measuring an individual's health status.
• Dr. Xinyi Li is an Assistant Professor in the School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences at Clemson University. Her research focuses on advancing methodologies in precision medicine, reinforcement learning, functional data analysis, spatio-temporal analysis, and non-/semi-parametric high-dimensional regression, with applications in imaging data analysis, statistical genetics, and public health. A key aspect of her research involves designing fast, efficient, and scalable computational algorithms to implement the methodologies. Her long-term research goal is to develop interpretable statistical and machine learning methods for imaging genetics.
• Dr. Vincent Richards is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Clemson University. His research focuses on the role microbiomes play in human health and disease. Specific topics include: the supragingival microbiome and the impact of HIV infection on childhood dental diseases; and the urethra microbiome and the impact of menopause on recurrent urinary tract infections. A particular interest is in developing high-resolution DNA/RNA sequencing/assembly approaches to elucidate strain-level taxonomic diversity dynamics and metabolic activity within these ecosystems towards the development of probiotic interventions to improve existing therapies.
• Dr. MinJae Woo is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences at Clemson University. He is affiliated with Clemson Rural Health, which operates Mobile Health Clinics that serve individuals in remote and underserved areas. His research focuses on both descriptive and predictive analytics, using custom-collected data to study populations often excluded from health systems datasets, clinical trials, and AI development.

Start Date: On or after July 1, 2025; Appointment is for 1 year initially with possibility of renewal for another year, given excellent progress and contingent on availability of NIH funding. Location: This recruitment is for our Clemson University campus in Clemson, South Carolina, which is a short drive from vibrant, downtown Greenville, South Carolina and the foothills of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains.

Qualifications: Postdoctoral candidate selection criteria: 1) prior research productivity, 2) research interest and experience, 3) quality and performance during prior training, and 4) recommendations of predoctoral mentor or previous postdoctoral mentor. All candidates will be evaluated for their commitment to a career in academic health research with broad participation by application of biomedical informatics and data science. Details of such commitment has to be included in the Research Statement. Please note that this grant can only support U.S. citizens and Permanent Residents. This is a restriction of the grant as dictated by the NLM, and not a decision of the program.

Application Instructions: Application materials: 1. Letter of interest/cover letter 2. Research statement 3. Academic CV 4. Contacts of 3 professional references. Submit applications through Interfolio at https://apply.interfolio.com/170123. For more information and to apply, visit https://apply.interfolio.com/170123. Clemson University is an EEO/AA employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to characteristics protected by applicable law including disability and protected veteran status.