Careers at Virginia Tech

The NSF Center for Community Empowering Pandemic Prediction and Prevention from Atoms to Societies (COMPASS Center) at Virginia Tech has an aspirational vision: a world where we can accurately foresee pandemics and minimize their impact. The Center invites applications for a Postdoctoral Associate with expertise in machine learning and computational biology. This position focuses on the development and application of cutting-edge computational methodologies to discover the rules of life underlying virus-host interactions, especially at the genetic, molecular, and cellular levels. The successful candidate will join a collaborative and interdisciplinary team at the NSF COMPASS Center, which integrates computational biology, machine learning, molecular virology, tissue engineering, environmental engineering, science communication, community engagement, and ethics.

This position offers an exciting opportunity to advance your research career by working with the NSF COMPASS Center and leveraging advanced computational methods to address critical questions in pandemic prediction and prevention.

Key Responsibilities:
- Develop and apply modern machine learning algorithms and computational tools to analyze viral sequence datasets.
- Integrate publicly available and center-specific viral genomic datasets with information curated from the literature.
- Investigate viral genome evolution to uncover insights into host specificity, lowering of host barriers, pathogenicity, drug resistance, and environmental persistence.
- Collaborate with other researchers in the NSF COMPASS Center, including virologists, computational biologists, tissue engineering, and environmental engineers.
- Become skilled in communicating science to the public and engaging with the community to empower them with knowledge about pandemic research.
- Prepare high-quality manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals and present findings at scientific conferences.
- Contribute to the development of research proposals and grant applications supporting the NSF COMPASS Center’s mission.

Benefits:
- Opportunity to contribute to groundbreaking research within the NSF COMPASS Center at the forefront of computational biology and machine learning.
- Access to state-of-the-art computational resources and large-scale viral sequence datasets.
- Professional development opportunities, including access to the NSF COMPASS Center’s network of collaborators, workshops, and conferences.
- Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package.

Required Qualifications

- PhD in Machine Learning, Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, Computer Science, or a related discipline. PhD must be awarded no more than four years prior to the effective date of appointment with a minimum of one year eligibility remaining.
- Expertise in advanced machine learning methods (e.g., transformers, LLMs) applied to biological sequence data.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with an ability to innovate in computational biology.
- Demonstrated proficiency in programming languages such as Python, R, with experience in machine learning frameworks (e.g., TensorFlow, PyTorch, or Scikit-learn).
- Demonstrated ability to publish in high-impact, peer-reviewed journals.
- Excellent communication skills, with a proven ability to collaborate in interdisciplinary teams.

Preferred Qualifications

- Experience with data integration, database management, and computational pipeline development.
- Expertise in analyzing high-throughput genomic data.
- Background in viral genomics or evolutionary biology.
- Experience with cloud computing platforms (e.g., AWS, Google Cloud, or HPC environments).

Appointment Type

Restricted

Salary Information

$61,008-$70,000

03/01/2025

Interested candidates should submit the following:
1) A cover letter detailing their research experience, career goals, and fit for the position within the NSF COMPASS Center.
2) A curriculum vitae (CV) including a list of publications.
3) Contact information for three professional references.

The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.

About Virginia Tech

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including the Innovation Campus in Northern Virginia; the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke; sites in Newport News and Richmond; and numerous Extension offices and research centers. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $500 million in research annually.

Virginia Tech endorses and encourages participation in professional development opportunities and university shared governance.  These valuable contributions to university shared governance provide important representation and perspective, along with opportunities for unique and impactful professional development.