Postdoctoral Fellow, Biology Smith Lab

Posting Details

Position Details

Position Summary

The department of Biology is a large, unified department with strong undergraduate degrees, nationally-ranked graduate programs, and world-class research spanning the breadth of biological questions and experimental systems — from ecosystems to microbiology and developmental biology, from evolution to cell biology, from molecular biology to systems biology, bioinformatics, and genomics. It is always an exciting time for Biology — enormous advances in global genome analysis coupled with unprecedented developments in interdisciplinary research have made the 21st century the Century of Biology. For more information about the department, you can find it here: About: Department of Biology: Indiana University Bloomington.

Indiana University is an equal opportunity employer and provider of ADA services and prohibits discrimination in hiring. See Indiana University Notice of Non-Discrimination here which includes contact information.

The Department of Biology at Indiana University Bloomington invites applications for a post-doctoral research position under the supervision of Dr. Chris Smith Home | Chris Smith. The lab— in the Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior section—investigates machine learning approaches for spatial population genetics. Our research integrates custom neural architecture design, simulations, and publicly available genomic datasets to develop new inference methods. The Postdoctoral Associate will conduct research related to creating or testing deep learning models for genomics, exploring new techniques related to spatial simulations, or other topics discussed with the PI.

Basic Qualifications

Core job duties include:

1. Designing, implementing, and overseeing research projects focused on methods development for understanding genetic variation within and between populations.
2. Building computational pipelines for conducting simulation experiments and analyzing genomic sequencing data.
3. Writing scientific publications and presenting findings at conferences.

Other general responsibilities include: Actively participating in lab meetings and discussions.

Education and experience required: Ph.D. in computational biology, bioinformatics, computer science, or a related field. Demonstrated experience leading computational research projects is required for the proposed research. Expertise in population or evolutionary genetics is preferred but not required.

Required skills:

• Experience with Python
• Experience with high performance computing
• Development of reproducible analysis pipelines
• Strong time management and organizational skills
• Ability to work effectively as a team
• Excellent written and oral communication
• Dependability, initiative, and professionalism

Preferred skills:

• Experience with population genetics.
• Experience with deep learning libraries (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow) and development.

Working conditions/demands: The role requires the ability to move about within an office environment.

Department Contact for Questions

To apply: Please submit (1) a cover letter describing your research and educational background, career goals, why you are interested in the position, and the date you are available to start; (2) a current CV; (3) the names and contact information for two references. This can be submitted at the following link: https://indiana.peopleadmin.com/postings/32511

For questions about the position contact Chris Smith (chriscs@iu.edu).

Timing and compensation: Review of applicants will begin May 1 and continue until the position is filled. The ideal start is June 1, although the starting date can be adjusted to suit the candidate. The initial appointment is for one year, with potential reappointment for additional years contingent upon satisfactory performance and funding availability. Salary will be commensurate with experience and full benefits are included.

Additional Qualifications

Salary and Rank

Special Instructions

For Best Consideration Date

05/01/2026

Expected Start Date

06/01/2026

Posting Number

IU-101520-2026

Applicant Documents

Required Documents

1. Curriculum Vitae
2. Letter of Application
3. List Of References

Optional Documents