The Ohio State University

Research Scientist

The Ohio State University$88K — $105K *
Pharmaceuticals & Biotech
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • PhD or equivalent in relevant scientific field.
  • Strong foundation in AI/ML applied to biomedical research.
  • Experience in computational drug discovery and cheminformatics.
  • Proficiency in molecular modeling and virtual screening.

Responsibilities

  • Develop and implement computational workflows for drug discovery.
  • Analyze biological and chemical datasets for therapeutic candidate optimization.
  • Collaborate with multidisciplinary teams to support AI-driven projects.
  • Evaluate drug target tractability and develop reproducible platforms.
  • Contribute to molecular design campaigns using advanced computational methods.

Benefits

  • Access to a collaborative and multidisciplinary research environment.
  • Opportunity to contribute to groundbreaking AI-driven therapeutic initiatives.
  • Professional development opportunities in advanced computational methods.
  • Engagement with faculty and industry leaders in drug discovery.
Full Job Description

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Job Title:
Research Scientist

Department:
Pharmacy | Medicinal Chemistry

The Computational Scientist - AI-Driven Drug Discovery will support the Buckeye BioLaunch initiative, a university-wide effort designed to accelerate therapeutic discovery, development, and commercialization through AI-enabled approaches.

The successful candidate will develop, implement, and apply computational, machine learning, cheminformatics, structural modeling, and data science approaches to identify and optimize therapeutic candidates. This individual will work closely with faculty investigators, medicinal chemists, biologists, clinicians, pharmacologists, translational scientists, and commercialization teams to advance AI-driven drug discovery projects. The position will contribute to multidisciplinary project teams supporting therapeutic programs across disease areas.

This role is expected to serve as a core scientific contributor within Buckeye BioLaunch, enabling data-driven decision-making across early discovery and translational development. The scientist will help design computational workflows, analyze large-scale biological and chemical datasets, support virtual screening and molecular design campaigns, evaluate target tractability and druggability, and contribute to the development of reproducible computational platforms that accelerate therapeutic innovation.

Required Education/Experience:

  • PhD or equivalent doctoral degree in computational chemistry, computational biology, cheminformatics, bioinformatics, computer science, pharmaceutical sciences, biophysics, chemical biology, biomedical engineering, statistics, data science, or a related field.

  • Strong background in AI/ML methods applied to biomedical, chemical, or pharmaceutical research.

  • Demonstrated experience in computational drug discovery, cheminformatics, molecular modeling, virtual screening, or structure-based drug design.

Desired Experience:  

  • Experience with generative AI methods for molecular design, graph neural networks, protein language models, foundation models, active learning, Bayesian optimization, or reinforcement learning.

  • Experience with protein structure prediction, protein–ligand interaction modeling, AlphaFold-derived structures, cryo-EM or crystallographic data, or structural bioinformatics.

  • Experience with ADMET modeling, toxicology prediction, pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics modeling, or translational biomarker analysis.

Additional Information:

Location:
Pelotonia Research Center (1040)

Position Type:
Regular

Scheduled Hours:
40

Shift:
First Shift

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About The Ohio State University

The Ohio State University (OSU) is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was founded in 1870 and is one of the largest universities in the United States, with over 68,000 students enrolled across its main campus and regional campuses. OSU offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs in various fields, including business, engineering, education, law, medicine, and the arts and sciences. The university is known for its strong research programs, particularly in the areas of agriculture, engineering, and medicine. OSU is also home to several museums, including the Wexner Center for the Arts and the Ohio State University Museum of Art.
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