Research Computing Analyst

Job Summary

The Department of Psychiatry at the University of British Columbia invites applications for a full-time Research Computing Analyst with expertise in artificial intelligence, machine learning and scientific computing. The successful candidate will work under the direct supervision of the Principal Investigator, Prof. Sophia Frangou, President’s Chair in Brain Health, and will receive detailed instructions on assignments. The successful candidate will carry out programming and technical tasks, troubleshoot computational problems, and contribute to the development and implementation of solutions under the guidance of senior members of the research team. Work will be reviewed for accuracy, completeness and timeliness.

The successful applicant will primarily contribute to the CentileBrain Project. This is a computational neuroimaging initiative focused on individual-level brain characterization. It combines large-scale imaging data, normative modelling, harmonization and machine learning. The platform generates individualized centile and deviation scores across the lifespan. The goal is to support precision neuroscience and clinically meaningful individual inference.

Organizational Status
The Department of Psychiatry at the University of British Columbia invites applications for a full-time Research Computing Analyst with expertise in artificial intelligence, machine learning and scientific computing. The successful candidate will work under the direct supervision of the Principal Investigator, Prof. Sophia Frangou, President’s Chair in Brain Health, and will receive detailed instructions on assignments. The successful candidate will carry out programming and technical tasks, troubleshoot computational problems, and contribute to the development and implementation of solutions under the guidance of senior members of the research team. Work will be reviewed for accuracy, completeness and timeliness

Work Performed

• Oversees the implementation of established machine-learning, artificial-intelligence and statistical methods in research datasets, modifies existing scripts as required using detailed specifications, and recommends computational workflow modifications to the PI.

• Performs data preparation, quality control, feature extraction and other defined computational tasks for large-scale research studies.

• Integrates multimodal datasets using established analytical procedures and modifies existing code as required to support data compatibility and processing.

• Runs and maintains computational workflows on local and high-performance computing systems, including monitoring processing and addressing routine execution issues.

• Resolve routine technical problems in code, data processing and computational workflows and escalate new issues for consultation with senior team members.

• Provides first-level technical support to research team members using established computational workflows and systems.

• Maintains clear documentation of code and script modifications, analytical procedures, software versions, testing results and computational outputs.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
The Principal Investigator will provide oversight for this position. Given the importance of the work to the research program, errors or poor judgment could substantially compromise research quality, delay project completion, and adversely affect future funding opportunities. Inaccurate or ineffective representation of the team’s work could also damage relationships with funding agencies and collaborators. The position therefore requires consistently high standards of accuracy, judgment, efficiency, and communication.

Supervision Received
The successful candidate will work within the broad direction established by the Principal Investigator and research team, with a high degree of independence and minimal supervision. The successful candidate will be expected to exercise sound judgment in carrying out defined responsibilities, collaborate effectively with team members, and proactively identify and bring emerging issues, risks, or unusual circumstances to the attention of the Principal Investigator.

Supervision Given
The successful candidate may assign tasks to students and provide oversight and review of their work.

Minimum Qualifications
Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline. Minimum of one year of related experience, or the equivalent combination of education and experience.

- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own

- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

• An undergraduate or master’s degree in computer science, data science, artificial intelligence, bioinformatics, computational biology, biomedical engineering, statistics or a related quantitative discipline.
• Experience with analyses of human neuroimaging MRI data
• Strong programming skills
• Demonstrated experience in machine learning, artificial intelligence or advanced statistical modelling.
• Experience working with high-dimensional or complex biomedical, biological or scientific datasets.
• Effective written and oral communication skills.

*Note: Candidates are not expected to have expertise in all of these areas. We are particularly interested in applicants who combine strong computational skills with the ability and interest to apply them to human neuroscience and biomedical research