Job Description

Special Instructions to Applicants: Please attach a cover letter and a curriculum vitae in the Supporting Documents section of the application.

Position Summary

The Research Scientist I in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering will support research in Dr. Ashok Veeraraghavan's lab focused on the development of computational microscopy systems for large-scale, high-resolution, high-speed imaging. This position will contribute to the ACCESSPATH project, which aims to develop an affordable, end-to-end system for immediate digital pathology of resected tumors. The Research Scientist I will design, develop, and evaluate microscope hardware and computational imaging methods; develop post-processing, image reconstruction, and AI-based diagnostic algorithms; analyze imaging data; and collaborate closely with the Richards-Kortum lab and other research partners to advance project milestones. The position will also contribute to publications, presentations, proposal development, and mentorship of junior research team members.

Workplace Requirements:

This is a full-time, exclusively on-site position that requires all duties to be performed in person at Rice University campus. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

Hiring Rate: $80,400 annually

*Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.

This position is a one-year term-limited position funded by grant, soft, and/or restricted funds. Continued employment is contingent upon the renewal of funding.

Requirements

• Ph.D. or other doctoral degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Biomedical Engineering or Bioengineering with a focus on optical microscope system design and clinical imaging.
• Two or more (2+) years of postdoctoral research or related experience

Preferences

• Research experience in computational imaging, biomedical imaging, biophotonics, microscopy, optical system design, machine learning, or related areas.
• Experience designing, developing, fabricating, or evaluating microscope hardware or optical imaging systems.
• Experience developing or applying image reconstruction, post-processing, computer vision, machine learning, or deep learning algorithms.
• Familiarity with clinical imaging workflows, digital pathology, in vivo imaging protocols, or biomedical imaging studies.
• Experience coordinating interdisciplinary research activities or collaborating with clinical, engineering, or translational research teams.
• Demonstrated record of scholarly productivity through publications, presentations, proposals, reports, or related research outputs.
• Experience mentoring graduate students, undergraduate students, or junior research personnel.

Essential Functions

• Designs, develops, fabricates, and evaluates computational microscopy systems for the ACCESSPATH project and related sponsored research activities.
• Develops and optimizes microscope hardware, optical components, imaging workflows, and research prototypes for large-scale, high-resolution, high-speed imaging.
• Develops, implements, tests, and refines post-processing, image reconstruction, computer vision, machine learning, and AI-based diagnostic algorithms.
• Designs and supports studies to evaluate microscope system performance in clinical imaging, digital pathology, biomedical imaging, or related research settings.
• Collects, processes, analyzes, and interprets imaging data using appropriate experimental, computational, statistical, and machine learning methods.
• Operates, maintains, and troubleshoots optical imaging systems, laboratory equipment, research prototypes, and related computational tools.
• Collaborates closely with the Richards-Kortum lab, the principal investigator, students, research staff, clinicians, and external partners to complete project goals and milestones.
• Reviews scientific literature and applies relevant findings to advance microscope design, imaging workflows, algorithm development, and study design.
• Prepares manuscripts, technical reports, figures, presentations, and other research materials for publication and dissemination.
• Presents research findings at internal meetings, national and international conferences, and other professional forums.
• Contributes to proposal development, progress reports, and identification of new funding opportunities in collaboration with the principal investigator.
• Mentors and provides technical guidance to graduate students, undergraduate students, and other junior research team members.
• Maintains accurate research records, follows laboratory safety protocols, and supports responsible use and maintenance of laboratory space, equipment, and research data.
• Performs all other duties as assigned.

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