Postdoctoral Associate

Duke Clinical Research Institute
United States, North Carolina, Durham
Sep 29, 2026
School of Medicine Established in 1930, Duke University School of Medicine is the youngest of the nation's top medical schools. Ranked sixth among medical schools in the nation, the School takes pride in being an inclusive community of outstanding learners, investigators, clinicians, and staff where interdisciplinary collaboration is embraced and great ideas accelerate translation of fundamental scientific discoveries to improve human health locally and around the globe. Composed of more than 2,600 faculty physicians and researchers, nearly 2,000 students, and more than 6,200 staff, the Duke University School of Medicine along with the Duke University School of Nursing, and Duke University Health System comprise Duke Health, a world-class academic medical center. The Health System encompasses Duke University Hospital, Duke Regional Hospital, Duke Raleigh Hospital, Duke Health Integrated Practice, Duke Primary Care, Duke Home Care and Hospice, Duke Health and Wellness, and multiple affiliations. Be You. Be Bold. Choose Duke. Be You. At Duke, we celebrate individuality and the unique perspectives that each member of our community brings. As the Machine Learning Research Data Analyst, Ophthalmic Imaging on the iMIND Study Team, you'll play a critical role in advancing innovative vision research through artificial intelligence, data science, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Working alongside clinicians, researchers, statisticians, fellows, residents, and students, you'll help transform complex ophthalmic imaging data into meaningful discoveries that improve patient care and scientific understanding. The Duke Eye Center's iMIND (Imaging, Modeling, and Intelligence for Neurodegeneration and Disease) research team is dedicated to leveraging advanced ophthalmic imaging, machine learning, and translational research to better understand disease progression and improve clinical outcomes. In this role, you'll contribute to pioneering work at the intersection of healthcare, artificial intelligence, and data-driven discovery. Learn more about the iMIND Study Team: https://dukeeyecenter.duke.edu/imind Be Bold. Join a multidisciplinary research team at the forefront of ophthalmic imaging and artificial intelligence. As the Machine Learning Research Data Analyst, you'll support the development, validation, and implementation of machine learning models using multimodal ophthalmic imaging and clinical datasets. You will help transform complex data into actionable research insights while contributing to innovative studies that advance patient care and scientific knowledge. What You'll Do Data Acquisition & Management Organize, curate, and maintain large-scale ophthalmic imaging datasets, including OCT, OCTA, and ultra-widefield fundus imaging. Interface with imaging platforms and data export systems to support efficient data acquisition processes. Maintain dataset structure, file naming standards, metadata integrity, version control practices, and audit documentation. Develop and manage databases that integrate imaging, clinical, and research information. Perform data cleaning, quality assurance, and standardization activities to promote reproducible research. Image Processing & Annotation Preprocess ophthalmic imaging data for machine learning workflows through normalization, resizing, artifact reduction, and quality assessment. Coordinate imaging annotation and segmentation efforts with clinicians and research personnel. Develop documentation, annotation guidelines, and quality control procedures. Maintain consistency and accuracy across imaging datasets and labeling processes. Machine Learning & Model Development Design, develop, optimize, and support machine learning and deep learning models. Prepare datasets for training, validation, and testing while ensuring data integrity and reproducibility. Execute model training workflows and monitor performance metrics. Perform hyperparameter optimization and maintain experiment tracking processes. Collaborate with investigators and research teams to implement sound validation methodologies and statistical approaches. Model Evaluation & Validation Evaluate model performance using industry-standard measures such as ROC curves, AUC, sensitivity, specificity, and precision-recall analyses. Assess model generalizability across diverse study populations and research cohorts. Identify potential sources of bias, overfitting, and data leakage. Create visualizations and summaries that communicate model performance to technical and clinical audiences. Research Data Analysis & Clinical Integration Integrate imaging biomarkers with clinical, cognitive, and genetic datasets. Support exploratory analyses and statistical research projects. Generate tables, figures, reports, and analytical summaries for presentations and publications. Translate complex analytical findings into clinically meaningful insights. Pipeline Development & Automation Develop scalable and reproducible workflows for data preprocessing, machine learning training, validation, and evaluation. Automate routine quality assurance and data management processes. Apply version control and software development best practices for research environments. Improve workflow efficiency and computational performance across research computing platforms. Regulatory Compliance & Data Security Support compliance with institutional policies, research protocols, and privacy requirements. Assist with data de-identification and secure data management practices. Maintain documentation supporting audits, protocol adherence, and research reproducibility standards. Collaboration & Scientific Communication Partner with multidisciplinary teams across clinical, scientific, and technical disciplines. Present research updates and analytical findings during laboratory meetings and project discussions. Document workflows, methodologies, and technical processes to support knowledge sharing and reproducibility. Mentor students, trainees, and new team members as appropriate. Scholarly Contributions Assist with manuscripts, abstracts, scientific presentations, and grant-related research activities. Create scientific figures, model visualizations, and technical documentation. Contribute to methods development and reporting for peer-reviewed publications and conference submissions. Preferred Advanced Experience Experience implementing emerging machine learning architectures and advanced AI methodologies. Knowledge of multimodal modeling approaches integrating imaging, genetic, and clinical datasets. Familiarity with explainable AI techniques, including Grad-CAM and saliency mapping. Ability to contribute to study design, hypothesis generation, and innovative research initiatives. Why Duke? At Duke, you'll have the opportunity to contribute to groundbreaking research that advances human health while growing your career in a collaborative and mission-driven environment. You'll work alongside world-class investigators, leverage cutting-edge technologies, and help shape the future of ophthalmic research through innovation and discovery. Choose Duke. Join a community that values excellence, collaboration, inclusion, and innovation. At Duke, your work will directly contribute to research that impacts lives while providing opportunities for professional development, mentorship, and continued growth. Duke is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy related conditions), sexual orientation or military status. Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas-an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values. Essential Physical Job Functions: Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essential job functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.