New

Research Data Scientist

University of Wisconsin Madison
sick time
United States, Wisconsin, Madison
21 North Park Street (Show on map)
Dec 23, 2025
Current Employees: If you are currently employed at any of the Universities of Wisconsin, log in to Jobs Hub to apply through the internal application process. Job Category:Academic Staff Employment Type:Terminal (Fixed Term) Job Profile:Data Scientist III Job Summary: Are you passionate about improving patient health outcomes, optimizing healthcare processes, and advancing science? Join our dynamic Informatics and Information Technology team at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health in Madison, Wisconsin. We are committed to revolutionizing healthcare through implementation of advanced data science approaches, conducting cutting-edge data-centric research, and generating real-world evidence to improve patient health outcomes in WI. As a Research Data Scientist, the incumbent will use clinical data to develop and implement advanced computational algorithms and to support groundbreaking data-driven research. This role is critical to integrating disparate data domains; you will architect multi-modal analysis pipelines and serve as a primary consultant for researchers, helping them navigate complex study designs and analysis. On a day-to-day basis, the incumbent could expect to engage in the following activities in supporting researchers: Multi-Modal Pipeline Development: Develop and implement informatics pipelines for the processing, integration, and harmonization of heterogeneous data sources (e.g., joining unstructured clinical notes with medical imaging and structured diagnostic codes). Statistical Modeling & Hypothesis Testing: Develop predictive models using retrospective real-world data to estimate disease risk, progression, and treatment effectiveness, while addressing bias and fairness. Design and execute rigorous hypothesis testing on observational datasets to validate research findings. Imaging Analysis: Analyze imaging datasets using advanced computational methods and Vision Models (e.g., CNNs, Transformers) to identify patterns in complex biological data. NLP & EHR Analysis: Leverage modern NLP frameworks and LLMs to extract critical insights from unstructured clinical notes and reports, ensuring data quality and integrity through rigorous preprocessing. Consultation & Capacity Building: Act as a technical consultant for the research community, translating complex model outputs into actionable scientific insights and helping investigators select appropriate analytical strategies. Work closely with data governance and security to ensure compliance with privacy regulations (e.g., NIST, HIPAA) when working with healthcare data; and address bias and fairness issues in AI models when dealing with sensitive health data. Keep abreast of emerging trends and advancements in AI research to propose innovative solutions to healthcare challenges. Additional position details: It is anticipated that this position will be remote and requires work be performed at an offsite, non-campus work location. Terminal, 24 month position. This position has the possibility to be extended or converted to an ongoing appointment based on need and/or funding. Key Job Responsibilities: Organizes and automates project steps for data preparation and analysis Documents approaches to address research questions and contributes to the establishment of reproducible research methodologies and analysis workflows Prepares data sets for analysis including cleaning/quality assurance, transformations, restructuring, and integration of multiple data sources Serves as an institutional subject matter expert and liaison to key internal and external stakeholders regarding data science best practices and methodologies and represents the interests of data science Identifies and implements or guides others in implementing appropriate data science techniques to find data patterns and answer research questions chosen by the lead researcher including data visualization, statistical analysis, machine learning, and data mining Develops and optimizes advanced computational algorithms using Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), regression, and rules-based models Composes and assembles reproducible workflows and reports to clearly articulate patterns to researchers and/or administrators Department: School of Medicine and Public Health, Office of Informatics and Information Technology, Data Science to Promote Precision Medicine. About Us: The UW School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH) is a leader in research and innovation, dedicated to improving patient outcomes through advanced data science and analytics. We are seeking an experienced Research Data Scientist for the Data Science to Promote Precision Medicine initiative and drive transformative data science projects to enhance healthcare and research at SMPH. This position is within the School of Medicine and Public Health's Office of Informatics and Information Technology (IIT). IIT is a multidisciplinary team of data scientists, engineers, developers, and IT support staff. We offer a variety of Informatics and IT services to departments and research staff within the School of Medicine and Public Health and beyond to support the conduct of high-quality clinical and translational research. Informatics: We provide innovative solutions and training for a broad spectrum of clinical and translational research utilizing real-world data to facilitate rapid translation of research findings into clinical practice, with an emphasis on precision medicine, healthcare delivery, and population health. Technology Solutions: We provide technology solutions to the School of Medicine and Public Health including cybersecurity, educational technology, and IT support. Compensation: The starting salary for the position is $100,000 but is negotiable based on experience and qualifications. Employees in this position can expect to receive benefits such as generous vacation, holidays, and sick leave; competitive insurances and savings accounts; retirement benefits. Benefits information can be found at (https://hr.wisc.edu/benefits/). SMPH Academic Staff Benefits flyer: (https://uwmadison.box.com/s/r50myohfvfd15bqltljn0g4laubuz7t0) Required Qualifications: Biostatistics, Machine Learning, & Experimental Design: A strong foundation in biostatistics, machine learning, and study design, specifically applied to observational research or clinical trials. Note for Assessment: Candidates must provide demonstrated evidence of this skill through a track record of peer-reviewed scientific publications where they contributed or performed the statistical methodology, or a portfolio of projects showcasing rigorous experimental design. Specialized Technical Experience: Demonstrated experience in at least one of the following areas: Medical Imaging: Experience with Vision Models (e.g., ResNet, EfficientNet, ViT, MONAI) for classification, segmentation, or detection tasks. NLP/EHR Data: Experience applying NLP techniques (e.g., Transformers, spaCy, LLMs) to extract insights from unstructured text or Electronic Health Records. Programming: Proficiency in Python and deep learning frameworks (PyTorch, PyTorch Lightning, or TensorFlow/Keras). Excellent problem-solving skills and attention to detail. Strong communication skills and ability to work collaboratively in a team environment. Preferred Qualifications: Experience working in academic institutions. Knowledge of healthcare data standards, common data models, and terminologies (e.g., OMOP, mCode, FHIR, HL7, ICD-10, CPT). Familiarity with R for statistical analysis and SQL for data querying. Familiarity with 'omics data analysis or bioinformatics workflows. Experience packaging data science solutions into reproducible tools, APIs, or applications for use by a broader research community. Education: Terminal Degree preferred, MD or PhD with a focus in Computer Science, Data Science, Clinical Informatics, Bioinformatics, Epidemiology, Biostatistics, Ophthalmology or related disciplines preferred How to Apply: For the best experience completing your application, we recommend using Chrome or Firefox as your web browser. To apply for this position, select either "I am a current employee" or "I am not a current employee" under Apply Now. You will then be prompted to upload your application materials. Important: The application has only one attachment field. Upload all required documents in that field, either as a single combined file or as multiple files in the same upload area. Upload required documents: * Cover letter * Resume Your cover letter should address how your training and experience align with the required and preferred qualifications listed above. Application reviewers will rely on these written materials to determine which applicants move forward in the process. References will be requested from final candidates. All applicants will be notified once the search concludes and a candidate is selected University sponsorship is not available for this position, including transfers of sponsorship and TN visas. The selected applicant will be responsible for ensuring their continuous eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without the need of an employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of appointment. This position is an ongoing position that will require continuous work eligibility. If you are selected for this position you must provide proof of work authorization and eligibility to work. Contact Information: Cody Roekle, croekle@wisc.edu 608-263-7676 Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information. Institutional Statement on Diversity: Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals. The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world. The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website. To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you. Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment. The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7). The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3 calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. UW-Madison will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the University of Wisconsin Police Department.