Research Scientist Theory and Computation
Astera Institute is an active nonprofit research institute and foundation that operates in-house neuroscience-informed AI research and funds, operates, and supports open-science programs and public goods.
About Astera Institute
Astera operates three divisions: Neuro-AI, Radial life-sciences research, and its Foundation. Its AI work pursues neuroscience-informed approaches to artificial general intelligence, while its foundation and Radial activities support open scientific infrastructure, datasets, research programs, and residencies.
Skills
Candidate Availability
Required and preferred rules are kept separate and reflect the wording in the original posting.
About the Role
You will develop computational and theoretical research programs on neural representations and dynamics. You will build and test dynamical models, analyze large-scale neural data, design experiments, develop NeuroAI architectures, mentor researchers, and contribute to publications and open scientific resources.
Requirements
- PhD or equivalent research experience in a relevant quantitative field
- 3–12+ years of experience
- Ability to lead a computational or theoretical research project end to end
- Depth in dynamical systems, including fixed-point, attractor, stability, bifurcation, and dynamical-model fitting analysis
- Fluency in Python and modern machine-learning frameworks such as PyTorch or JAX
- Experience with large-scale neural datasets, electrophysiology or two-photon imaging, Neuropixels, spike sorting, and quality-control pipelines such as Kilosort
- Ability to work closely with experimental neuroscientists, software engineers, and hardware engineers
Responsibilities
- Build models of compositional neural representation grounded in cognitive theory and recordings
- Build and test coupled dynamical-systems models across multiple brain areas
- Analyze fixed points, attractors, stability, and bifurcation structure
- Derive stimulation inputs to drive systems toward chosen stable states and validate them in closed-loop experiments
- Integrate data across subjects and species into neural foundation models
- Propose and help design experiments that distinguish competing models
- Abstract computational principles into NeuroAI architectures
- Mentor research engineers and junior scientists at senior or principal levels
- Contribute to publications, talks, open data, tooling releases, and scientific-community engagement
Benefits
- Comprehensive benefits package