Post Doctoral Associate

University of Maryland · United States

Job Description Summary Organization's Summary Statement: The Economo Lab ( at the University of Maryland, College Park is seeking a postdoctoral researcher to work at the interface of biology and computer science using large-scale 3D phenotypic data of animals acquired via micro-CT and related modalities. There are exciting opportunities for large-scale image datasets to supercharge the study of the evolution and ecology of traits, probe the connection between genomic and phenomic variation, and discover new bioinspired design principles. The work will build upon recent advances in high-throughput imaging, including but not limited to the Antscan project (Katzke et al., 2026, Nature Methods), to address biological questions using AI-powered segmentation and comparative methods. The postdoc will be based at the University of Maryland, but work closely with members in the Biodiversity and Biocomplexity unit (also led by Economo) at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Japan. The hired individual will join a collaborative environment on the UMD campus with opportunities to interact with the Predictive Biology Hub, the Immersive Visualization Research Center, the Maryland Center for Robotics, the University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computing Sciences, and the Artificial Intelligence Institute of Maryland. The Washington, D.C. region has additional opportunities for interaction in the biodiversity space with a wide range of institutions, non-governmental organizations, and universities. Strong computational skills are required as well as the ability to work in a team in a professional and collegial manner. Physical Demands: Visual acuity is required for preparing and analyzing written or computer data and presentations. Ability to lift and carry 25 pounds. Regularly required to operate a computer Preferences: • PhD in biology, bioinformatics, computer science, or a related field within the past 5 years (or expected before starting the position) Experience with 3D image data, segmentation, and/or comparative morphological analysis preferred Duties and Responsibilities for this position include:

• Conduct independent and collaborative research within the lab's phenomics and comparative biology program
• Contribute to grant writing and proposal development
• Mentor junior lab members, including graduate students and research staff
• Contribute to lab management
• Foster a collegial and respectful working and learning environment