Research Associate STS (Spatial AI)

POSITION OBJECTIVE

The Case Cardiovascular Research Institute develops next-generation spatial artificial intelligence approaches for precision medicine and population health. Working closely with the principal investigator and an interdisciplinary team of clinicians, epidemiologists, computer scientists, engineers, and data scientists, the Research Associate will independently plan and execute research projects that integrate clinical, imaging, environmental, geospatial, and temporal data. The Research Associate will develop and maintain reproducible computational pipelines, contribute to innovative AI platforms and precision health metrics, coordinate multidisciplinary projects, mentor trainees, prepare manuscripts and presentations, and contribute preliminary data and technical content for grant proposals. The position will support the Specialized Program in Integrated Imaging and Cartographic-Enabled Socio-Environmental Risk and advance a person, place, and time framework for understanding disease risk, health trajectories, and healthcare delivery.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

1. Design and implement advanced artificial intelligence and spatial analytics methods that integrate electronic health records, imaging and radiomics, environmental exposures, geospatial intelligence, wearable and sensor data, and longitudinal health information. Develop machine learning and deep learning algorithms, geospatial models, GIS-enabled pipelines, multimodal prediction tools, and precision health metrics. Contribute to work involving agentic AI systems, multimodal foundation models, reinforcement learning, responsible AI, and explainable clinical decision-support methods. (60%)

2. Coordinate and oversee multidisciplinary research projects in collaboration with the principal investigator. Establish project plans and milestones, monitor progress, manage large multimodal healthcare, imaging, environmental, and geospatial datasets, and provide regular updates and recommendations to the principal investigator. Ensure data integrity, documentation, regulatory compliance, reproducibility, and timely completion of project objectives. (15%)

3. Participate in strategic planning for the research program and help establish research priorities. Contribute to new collaborations, future AI platforms, and the development of grant proposals, including NIH and industry-sponsored applications. (5%)

4. Lead or contribute to the preparation of manuscripts, publication-quality figures, technical reports, and presentations. Present findings at laboratory meetings and national or international scientific meetings. Communicate results to academic and industry collaborators and contribute scientific information and preliminary data for grant proposals. (15%)

5. Provide limited training and technical guidance to graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, junior investigators, and other research team members regarding AI, spatial computing, data management, and reproducible research practices. (5%)

NONESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

1. Perform other duties as assigned.

CONTACTS

Department: Frequent contact with the principal investigator, faculty, research staff, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and administrative staff to coordinate research projects and related activities.

University: Regular contact with clinicians, engineers, computer scientists, statisticians, environmental scientists, data governance and information technology staff, and other university departments involved in collaborative research.

External: Regular or occasional contact with University Hospitals collaborators, partner institutions, funding agencies, industry collaborators, data providers, and professional organizations.

Students: Regular contact with graduate and undergraduate students participating in research projects.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY

No direct supervisory responsibilities. The Research Associate may provide limited technical training and guidance to students, postdoctoral fellows, junior investigators, and other research team members as assigned.

WORKING CONDITIONS

General office and computational research environment. The position requires extensive use of computers and may involve prolonged periods of sitting, viewing monitors, and working with large datasets and secure research computing systems. The employee may occasionally attend meetings or scientific conferences outside normal business hours and may travel occasionally for collaborative meetings or professional presentations. This position does not routinely involve animal research or exposure to laboratory hazards.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education/Experience: Master's degree in computer science, artificial intelligence, biomedical engineering, geography or GIScience, data science, biostatistics, medicine, or a related quantitative discipline and a minimum of 5 years of related experience required. A PhD, MD, or other relevant terminal degree and 0 or more years of related experience may be accepted in lieu of the master's degree and experience requirement.

REQUIRED SKILLS

1. Advanced knowledge of machine learning and deep learning methods and their application to complex biomedical, clinical, imaging, environmental, or geospatial data.

2. Expertise in spatial computing and GIS, including spatial statistics, spatial epidemiology, geospatial database management, remote sensing, network analysis, mobility analytics, environmental exposure modeling, or spatial machine learning.

3. Proficiency with Python and experience with one or more additional research computing tools or platforms such as R, SQL, PyTorch, TensorFlow, Apache Spark, Docker, Azure, AWS, Google Cloud, ArcGIS Pro, or QGIS.

4. Experience working with one or more healthcare data types, including electronic health records, imaging and radiomics, clinical registries, multiomic datasets, wearable or sensor data, or healthcare interoperability standards such as FHIR, HL7, or OMOP.

5. Excellent analytical and quantitative reasoning skills; ability to develop innovative methods, analyze complex data, formulate findings, and provide sound recommendations.

6. Excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills; ability to prepare manuscripts, reports, grant materials, and presentations and to communicate effectively with individuals within and external to the university.

7. Strong organizational and project management skills; ability to manage multiple projects, prioritize work, maintain accurate documentation, meet deadlines, and adapt to shifting priorities.

8. Effective leadership and mentoring skills; ability to train team members, coordinate multidisciplinary work, and elicit cooperation from collaborators.

9. Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a team environment. Must be highly motivated, responsible, dependable, and able to exercise sound judgment and initiative.

10. Commitment to reproducible research, responsible artificial intelligence, data integrity, privacy, regulatory compliance, and scientific rigor.

Case Western Reserve University is committed to providing a transparent estimate of the salary for this position at the time of its posting. The starting annual salary is $55,000-$56,000, depending on qualifications, experience, department budgets, and industry data.

Employees receive more than just a paycheck. University employees enjoy a comprehensive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare, retirement plans, tuition assistance, paid time off, and a winter recess.