What are the responsibilities and job description for the Post-Doc Research Associate position at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill?
Posting Details
Department
Radiology - Research - 412802
Posting Open Date
09/30/2025
Application Deadline
Open Until Filled
Yes
Position Type
Postdoctoral Scholar
Position Title
Post-Doc Research Associate
Vacancy ID
PDS004662
Full-time/Part-time
Full-Time Temporary
Hours per week
40
FTE
1
Work Location
Chapel Hill, NC
Position Location
North Carolina, US
Hiring Range
Proposed Start Date
01/01/2026
Estimated Duration of Appointment
12 Months
Position Information
Be a Tar Heel!
A global higher education leader in innovative teaching, research and public service, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill consistently ranks as one of the nation’s top public universities and is among is the top ten research universities in the nation for federal research expenditures as well as for federally funded social and behavioral sciences research and development.
Here at Carolina, our highly skilled postdocs play a vital role in our research enterprise and towards our overall commitment to research excellence. Across many disciplines, postdocs contribute to the intellectual vitality of the University. They provide innovative ideas and perspectives, foster a stimulating research environment and advance knowledge within their fields. Postdocs are crucial members of our scientific research workforce, contributors to our research outputs and an important reason why Carolina is one of the leading public research institutions in the country.
UNC-Chapel Hill offers postdocs comprehensive medical and vision coverage, paid leave, and benefits and services that support professional development and a healthy work/life balance. Chapel Hill regularly ranks as one of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, a reputation guided by the diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community.
Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit
Our mission is to improve the health and well-being of North Carolinians and others whom we serve. We accomplish this by providing leadership and excellence in the interrelated areas of patient care, education and research.
Patient care: We promote health and provide superb clinical care while maintaining our strong tradition of reaching underserved populations and reducing health disparities across North Carolina and beyond.
Education: We prepare tomorrow`s healthcare professionals and biomedical researchers from all backgrounds by facilitating learning within innovative and integrated curricula and team-oriented interprofessional education to ensure a highly skilled workforce.
Research: We develop and support a rich array of outstanding health sciences research programs, centers and resources. We provide infrastructure and opportunities for collaboration among disciplines throughout and beyond our university to support outstanding research. We foster programs in the areas of basic, translational, mechanistic and population research.
Patient care: We promote health and provide superb clinical care while maintaining our strong tradition of reaching underserved populations and reducing health disparities across North Carolina and beyond.
Education: We prepare tomorrow`s healthcare professionals and biomedical researchers from all backgrounds by facilitating learning within innovative and integrated curricula and team-oriented interprofessional education to ensure a highly skilled workforce.
Research: We develop and support a rich array of outstanding health sciences research programs, centers and resources. We provide infrastructure and opportunities for collaboration among disciplines throughout and beyond our university to support outstanding research. We foster programs in the areas of basic, translational, mechanistic and population research.
Position Summary
A postdoctoral associate position is available in the group of Dr. Tengfei Li at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The successful candidate will develop and apply advanced statistical and machine learning methods for infant cognitive prediction using large-scale multimodal neuroimaging data. The research will emphasize methodological innovation in statistical modeling, transfer learning, machine learning, model ensemble strategies, and interpretable artificial intelligence to improve prediction accuracy while ensuring biological interpretability. The candidate will contribute to building computational frameworks that integrate diverse imaging features, quantify uncertainty, and yield robust and explainable predictions of early-life cognitive outcomes. The postdoc will primarily work with Dr. Tengfei Li and collaborate closely with Dr. Weili Lin and Dr. Hongtu Zhu.
Minimum Education and Experience Requirements
PhD degree in Biostatistics/Statistics.
Required Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience
Familiarity with most of the following areas: transfer learning, machine learning, data harmonization, longitudinal data analysis, model ensemble, interpretable AI. Familiarity with programming languages: R, Python, or Matlab.
Preferred Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience
Strong organizational skills.
Special Physical/Mental Requirements
