Postdoctoral Associate

Work Arrangement:  On-Site
Requisition Number:  275238
Regular or Temporary:  Regular
Location: 

Durham, NC, US, 27710

Personnel Area:  MEDICAL CENTER
Date:  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, 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.
You will thrive in an environment that values curiosity, teamwork, innovation, and continuous learning while contributing to groundbreaking research initiatives at one of the nation's leading academic medical centers.

Be Bold.

Join a team at the forefront of ophthalmic research, where advanced imaging technologies, machine learning, and clinical expertise come together to solve complex healthcare challenges. In this role, you will support the development, validation, and implementation of artificial intelligence models using multimodal imaging and clinical datasets.

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 ensure efficient data acquisition.
  • Maintain accurate file naming conventions, metadata standards, dataset version control, and audit trails.
  • Build and manage structured databases linking imaging data with clinical and research datasets.
  • Perform data cleaning, standardization, and quality assurance activities to support reproducible research.

Image Processing & Annotation

  • Preprocess ophthalmic images for machine learning applications through resizing, normalization, and artifact reduction.
  • Coordinate image annotation and segmentation efforts with clinicians and research staff.
  • Develop and maintain annotation standards, documentation, and quality control processes.
  • Ensure consistency and accuracy across imaging datasets and labeling workflows.

Machine Learning & Model Development

  • Support the design, development, and optimization of machine learning and deep learning models.
  • Prepare datasets for training, validation, and testing while maintaining rigorous data integrity standards.
  • Execute model training workflows and monitor model performance.
  • Conduct hyperparameter optimization and experiment tracking.
  • Collaborate with research teams to implement robust validation strategies and statistical methodologies.

Model Evaluation & Validation

  • Evaluate model performance using industry-standard metrics, including AUC, sensitivity, specificity, precision-recall analysis, and ROC curves.
  • Assess model generalizability across diverse research cohorts.
  • Identify potential sources of bias, overfitting, and data leakage.
  • Develop performance visualizations and communicate findings to stakeholders.

Research Data Analysis & Clinical Integration

  • Integrate imaging-derived biomarkers with clinical, genetic, and cognitive datasets.
  • Support statistical analyses and exploratory research initiatives.
  • Generate tables, figures, and analytical summaries for publications and presentations.
  • Translate complex analytical outputs into clinically relevant insights.

Pipeline Development & Automation

  • Build scalable, reproducible workflows for data preprocessing, training, validation, and evaluation.
  • Automate routine data management and quality assurance processes.
  • Utilize version control and best practices for code management and documentation.
  • Optimize computational efficiency across research computing environments.

Regulatory Compliance & Data Security

  • Support compliance with institutional policies, research protocols, and applicable privacy regulations.
  • Assist with data de-identification and secure data management practices.
  • Maintain documentation supporting audits, protocol requirements, and research reproducibility.

Collaboration & Scientific Communication

  • Work closely with multidisciplinary research teams across clinical and scientific domains.
  • Present project updates and findings during laboratory and research meetings.
  • Document workflows and methodologies to facilitate reproducibility and knowledge sharing.
  • Mentor and support trainees, students, and new team members as appropriate.

Scholarly Contributions

  • Assist with manuscript development, abstracts, 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 novel machine learning architectures and emerging AI methodologies.
  • Knowledge of multimodal modeling approaches integrating imaging, clinical, and genetic data.
  • Familiarity with model explainability techniques such as saliency mapping and Grad-CAM.
  • Ability to contribute to study design, hypothesis development, and innovative research initiatives.

Why Duke?

At Duke, you'll have the opportunity to contribute to pioneering research that advances human health while growing your career in a collaborative and mission-driven environment. You'll work with world-class investigators, cutting-edge technologies, and an engaged research community dedicated to innovation and discovery.

Choose Duke.

If you're passionate about the intersection of artificial intelligence, data science, ophthalmology, and translational research, we encourage you to apply.

Ready to Make a Difference?

Apply now and help us build a stronger, smarter, and more connected future.


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.



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