MATRIX Post-Doc Research Associate

Department:

Renaissance Computing Inst - 637100

Posting Open Date:

07/29/2025

Open Until Filled:

Yes

Position Type:

Postdoctoral Scholar

Position Title:

MATRIX Post-Doc Research Associate

Vacancy ID:

PDS004609

Full-time/Part-time:

Full-Time Temporary

Hours per week:

40

FTE:

1

Work Location:

Chapel Hill, NC

Position Location:

Virginia, US

Hiring Range:

Dependent upon Qualifications

Proposed Start Date:

09/01/2025

Estimated Duration of Appointment:

12 Months

Be a Tar Heel!:

A global higher education leader in innovative teaching, research and public service, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill consistently ranks as one of the nations top public universities and is among is the top ten research universities in the nation for federal research expenditures as well as for federally funded social and behavioral sciences research and development.Here at Carolina, our highly skilled postdocs play a vital role in our research enterprise and towards our overall commitment to research excellence. Across many disciplines, postdocs contribute to the intellectual vitality of the University. They provide innovative ideas and perspectives, foster a stimulating research environment and advance knowledge within their fields. Postdocs are crucial members of our scientific research workforce, contributors to our research outputs and an important reason why Carolina is one of the leading public research institutions in the country.UNC-Chapel Hill offers postdocs comprehensive medical and vision coverage , paid leave, and benefits and services that support professional development and a healthy work/life balance. Chapel Hill regularly ranks as one of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, a reputation guided by the diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community.

Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit:

Are you ready to go beyond the state of the art?

At the Renaissance Computing Institute (RENCI), we use data, creativity, and inclusive teaming to revitalize how science is done. Fostering data science expertise and creating cyberinfrastructure isnt just about solving known problems its about expanding human potential by unlocking data.

We need innovators, builders, strategists, technologists, architects, and creative thinkers across all domains to drive this work forward. When you join our team, youll:
-Spend your time solving the interesting and unique problems of research and development.
-Shape your future through experimentation and unfettered access to premier education and research.
-Make connections to people and projects that ignite your passion.

We know that diversity of people and ideas is a cornerstone of innovation, and we work to ensure our culture reflects that knowledge. We provide the tools you need to do your job effectively; we offer flexibility so you can be the most productive version of you; and we encourage thoughtful and challenging discourse.

Join our research institute at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill today and help us spark a scientific renaissance across the Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, and beyond.

Position Summary:

The Renaissance Computing Institute (RENCI) at UNC Chapel Hill is seeking a MATRIX Postdoctoral Research Associate to join our interdisciplinary team at the forefront of biomedical data integration and AI-driven discovery. In this role, you will design and implement sophisticated data ingestion and transformation workflows that unify diverse biomedical sources into structured, queryable knowledge graphs. Your work will support the creation of FAIR-aligned metadata (including emerging standards like Croissant) to ensure data provenance, accessibility, and reuse across translational science domains.

You will play a key role in shaping infrastructure that enables expressive querying (e.g., via the Model Context Protocol) and optimize integrated data for downstream AI/ML applications such as predictive modeling and pathfinding. This includes exploring the use of large language models (LLMs) for schema mapping and normalization tasks, evaluating embedding strategies that enhance interpretability, and developing novel approaches that use AI and knowledge graphs to make novel predictions and answer complex user queries. The ideal candidate is enthusiastic about contributing to open-source tools, co-authoring publications, and presenting research at national and international venues.

As part of a dynamic, collaborative team operating at the intersection of biomedical informatics, semantic technologies, and computational discovery, youll contribute to impactful, cutting-edge tools and methods that advance scientific understanding and translational outcomes.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements:

Ph.D. in Bioinformatics, Biomedical Informatics, Computer Science, or a related field.

Required Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience:

NA

Preferred Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience:

Experience with Knowledge Graph machine learning including KG embeddings.
Strong background in data integration, ETL pipeline design, and schema transformation.
Familiarity with workflow managers, with a preference for experience using tools like Kedro, Airflow, Snakemake, or similar.
Understanding of semantic modeling and ontology use. (e.g., Biolink, RDF/OWL, OBO ontologies)
Proficiency in Python and collaborative software development workflows.
Familiarity with version control and team-based development using Git.

Special Instructions:

For information on UNC Postdoctoral Benefits and Services click here