Scientist I - Data and Technology

Scientist I – Data and Technology - Allen Institute for Brain Science

The mission of the Allen Institute is to understand the principles that govern life and to advance health. Our creative and multi-dimensional teams focus on answering some of the biggest questions in bioscience. We accelerate foundational research, catalyze bold ideas, develop tools and models, and openly share our science to make a broad, transformational impact on the world.

The mission of the Allen Institute for Brain Science is to accelerate the understanding of how the human brain works in health and disease. Using a big science approach, we generate useful public resources, drive technological and analytical advances, and discover fundamental brain properties.

Built on the foundational knowledge of brain cell types, the mission of the Allen Institute for Brain Science is to conduct a series of large-scale projects designed to create “CAP” (Complete, Accurate, Permanent) datasets and experimental tools; gain fundamental knowledge in the development, evolution, connectivity and function of brain cell types; move towards a better understanding of mammalian brain function in healthy and diseased conditions; and disseminate the data, knowledge and tools broadly with the community, to accelerate research across the neuroscience field.

The Allen Institute for Brain Science is part of the NIH BRAIN CONNECTS program that aims to develop the research capacity and technical capabilities to generate wiring diagrams that can span entire brains across multiple scales. We will build BRAIN CONNECTS Knowledge Base (CONNECTS-KB) to broadly disseminate the connectivity maps and associated computational tools as foundational resources to the community to accelerate and transform our understanding of brain functions and diseases.

As a Scientist I, you will work as part of team to create a common connectivity matrix, integrating and harmonizing connectivity data from across BRAIN CONNECTS. Working closely with data generators and data processing cohorts, you will develop tools that translate the output from individual projects into a coherent analytical framework including quantitative and statistical summary and dimension reduction. This common connectivity matrix will enable rigorous comparison of different experimental technologies and provide the analytical foundation for the knowledge base. We will broadly distribute the tools and products for democratized access and analysis by the research community. Further, you will help organize and enhance consortium efforts to disseminate the connectivity data, knowledge and tools to the broader research community by developing online platforms and tutorials, promoting publications, and hosting workshops.

At the Allen Institute, we believe that science is for everyone – and should be open to everyone. We are dedicated to combating biases and reducing barriers to STEM careers more broadly.

We also believe that science is better when it includes different perspectives and voices. We strive to make the Allen Institute a place where everyone feels like they belong and are empowered to do their best work in a supportive environment.

We are an equal-opportunity employer and strongly encourage people from all backgrounds to apply for our open positions.

Essential Functions

• Access, convert, curate, and harmonize connectivity datasets, especially from CONNECTS teams, for integration into the common connectivity matrix and knowledge base
• Analyze current technologies, algorithms, models, and methods to assess their fit for purpose
• Iteratively enhance joint analysis capabilities of the common connectivity matrix, including through direction to project teams and processing cohorts to fill gaps in connectivity features and through improvements to data model and integration methods
• Develop and maintain documentation to clarify requirements and rationale
• Develop and maintain software tool to support access, analysis and visualization of the information from the knowledge base
• Contribute to the pipelines for translating, formatting and processing from selected projects to the knowledge base
• Interface with and support community use of the knowledge base in external analysis and visualization applications
• Develop tutorials and user documentation to enable use and dissemination of the developed tools
• Participate in a highly interactive and multidisciplinary environment
• Support the writing and publishing manuscripts, grant and internal progress reports and grant applications
• Please include a cover letter with your application**
  
  

Note: Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. This description reflects management’s assignment of essential functions; it does not proscribe or restrict the tasks that may be assigned.

Required Education And Experience

• PhD degree in Neuroscience, Computational Neuroscience, Bioinformatics, Genetics, Physics, Applied Mathematics, Engineering, Computational Biology, Computer Science or related field; or equivalent combination of degree and experience
  
  

Preferred Education And Experience

• Knowledgeable about neuroanatomy, connectivity, and neuroscience data analysis
• Experience in scientific computing including Python and Linux/UNIX environments
• Experience with scientific data analysis and visualization
• Experience with AI/ML modeling to answer scientific questions
• Demonstrate a positive attitude, self-motivation, and ability to troubleshoot
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Ability to work independently and within a collaborative team to meet aggressive timelines
  
  

Physical Demands

• Fine motor movements in fingers/hands to operate computers and other office equipment
  
  

Position Type/Expected Hours of Work

• This role is currently able to work both remotely and onsite in a hybrid work environment. We are a Washington State employer, and the primary work location for all Allen Institute employees is 615 Westlake Ave N.; any remote work must be performed in Washington State.
  
  

Travel

• Occasional attendance and participation in national and international conferences may be required
  
  

Additional Comments

• **Please note, this opportunity may sponsor work visas**
• **Please note, this opportunity offers relocation funding**
  
  

Annualized Salary Range

$92,250 - $114,100*

• Final salary depends on the required education for the role, experience, level of skills relevant to the role, and work location, where applicable.
  
  

Benefits

• Employees (and their families) are eligible to enroll in benefits per eligibility rules outlined in the Allen Institute’s Benefits Guide. These benefits include medical, dental, vision, and basic life insurance. Employees are also eligible to enroll in the Allen Institute’s 401k plan. Paid time off is also available as outlined in the Allen Institutes Benefits Guide. Details on the Allen Institute’s benefits offering are located at the following link to the Benefits Guide: https://alleninstitute.org/careers/benefits .
  
  

It is the policy of the Allen Institute to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, the Allen Institute will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.