Research Associate I, Biochemistry & Molecular Biology (Galveston)

Job Description:

Research Associate I performs varying standardized laboratory assignments and experiments.

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree in basic science or equivalent and no experience required.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Physics, Applied Mathematics, Data Science, or a related quantitative field

• Strong programming skills in Python

• Experience with machine learning frameworks such as PyTorch

• Excellent problem-solving ability and willingness to learn new computational methods

• Strong written and verbal communication skills

• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively within a multidisciplinary team

• Experience with graph neural networks, deep learning, large language models, or generative AI

• Experience with computational biology, structural biology, bioinformatics, or biological data analysis

• Experience with Linux, Git/GitHub, and high-performance computing

• Familiarity with protein structures, molecular simulations, or omics dataset

 Job Duties:

• Under direct supervision, performs standard research assignments involving a series of related operations.
• Sets up and conducts standard research experiments following detailed technical instructions.
• Prepares biological assays and conducts basic quantitative and qualitative analysis.
• Maintains records of all tests performed and data collected.
• Assists in the compilation and tabulation of data and provides preliminary analysis.
• Assembles, calibrates, operates and makes minor modifications to a variety of laboratory equipment as defined by appropriate guidelines.
• Adheres to internal controls established for department.
• Performs related duties as required.

Skills:

• Biological Analysis
• Quantitative Analysis
• Qualitative Analysis
• Tabulation of Data
• Equipment Calibration
• Standard Laboratory Equipment

Working Environment:

Standard laboratory environment.

Salary Range:

Commensurate with experience.

Research Associate I (Computational Biology / Machine Learning)
The Zhao Research Group at UTMB is seeking one highly motivated Research Associate to join our growing interdisciplinary research team. Supported by the Welch Foundation and other research programs, our laboratory develops physics-informed AI methods for understanding biological systems, with applications ranging from molecular biophysics and protein interactions to multi-omics integration, disease modeling, and therapeutic discovery.

Our research sits at the intersection of Biophysics × AI × Computational Biology. We combine structural biology, graph machine learning, protein language models, statistical physics, and systems biology to develop computational methods that address fundamental biological questions and accelerate drug discovery.

Research Areas

Successful candidates will contribute to one or more of the following projects:

• AI and graph neural networks for protein-protein interaction prediction.
• Physics-informed machine learning for protein binding affinity prediction.
• Multi-scale modeling integrating molecular structures, protein interaction networks, and single-cell multi-omics.
• Large language models and foundation models for biological systems.
• AI-assisted therapeutic target discovery and disease network analysis.

What We Offer
The Zhao Research Group provides a collaborative and intellectually stimulating environment with opportunities to work on cutting-edge computational biology research. Team members will contribute to method development, software engineering, scientific publications, conference presentations, and collaborative projects with investigators at UTMB and other leading institutions.
 

Outstanding Research Associates interested in pursuing graduate training will receive strong mentorship and opportunities for scientific and professional development.
 

Application

Please send the following materials to hazhao@utmb.edu:

• Curriculum vitae
• Brief statement describing your research interests and career goals
• Contact information for 2–3 references
• (Optional) GitHub profile or representative code repository

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the positions are filled.