Research Assistant II, Laboratory of Dr. Talmo Pereira

Research Assistant II position will focus on computational modeling and analysis. A successful candidate will work half of their time on independent projects and the other half on supporting ongoing projects in the lab. The position will be responsible for implementing and troubleshooting pipelines for kinematics estimation from motion capture data, as well as deep reinforcement learning. The overall goal of the research is to develop agent-based models of animal behavior.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

• (50%) Engineering support

• Assisting team members in Pereira and Azim labs with project-relevant tasks.
• General software engineering and analysis pipeline support.

• (50%) Independent research

• Explore approaches for training deep reinforcement learning models of animal behavior.
• Analyzing representations learned by agent models.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• This job has no supervisory responsibilities.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Minimum 2 years' experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience required.
• Experience working with Python.
• Preferred: Experience with deep reinforcement learning.
• Bachelor's degree in Neuroscience, Computer Science, Math, Physics, Statistics or related scientific discipline required. A minimum of 4 years of experience in a scientific role is required for consideration of a Bachelor's degree in a different discipline.

The expected pay range for this position is $21.15 to $25.00 per hour.

SPECIAL CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

• Must be willing to work in an animal-related research
• Must be willing to work an adjusted schedule to support research
• Successful completion of the Institute's background
• Willing to sign a confidentiality agreement

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS/MENTAL ACTIVITIES/ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

This position requires constant adjusting focus, grasping, handling, hearing, seeing, standing, analyzing, communicating, reading, reasoning, and working inside.

The Salk Institute is an internationally renowned research institution that values diversity, equity and inclusion. We seek bold and interactive leaders passionate about exploring new frontiers in science. Our collaborative community embraces diverse perspectives and unique life experiences, fostering innovation, and a sense of belonging. Together, we strive to improve the wellbeing of humanity through groundbreaking research.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The Salk Institute for Biological Studies is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to providing equal access to opportunities for students, employees, applicants for employment and other visitors. Salk has also adopted and maintains a policy to encourage professional and respectful workplace behavior and prevent discriminatory and harassing conduct in our workplace. Accordingly, the Institute prohibits harassment and discrimination in employment on the basis of, and considers all qualified applicants for employment without regard to, actual or perceived race, color, religion, religious creed (including religious dress and grooming practices), national origin, ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, medical condition (including cancer and genetic characteristics), genetic information, marital status, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or related medical conditions), gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, veteran and/or military status (disabled veteran, veteran of the Vietnam era, other covered veteran status), political affiliation, and any other status protected by state or federal law.