Postdoctoral Fellow – Multimodal AI for Precision Psychiatry

Job Description

The Supekar Lab at Stanford University is seeking a postdoctoral scholar to contribute to two NIH R01-funded projects at the intersection of neuroscience, AI, and precision psychiatry. The Supekar lab integrates neuroscience and AI to advance understanding of brain function and the mechanisms underlying neuropsychiatric disorders. Through rigorous research and clinically oriented translation, we develop evidence-based innovations to improve diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment, with the ultimate goal of improving outcomes for individuals affected by mental illness.

The postdoctoral scholar will work on projects focused on autism and schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, using large-scale neuroimaging, clinical, cognitive, and molecular datasets to discover neurobiological patterns that can inform mechanistic understanding as well as diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. One project focuses on identifying biologically grounded subtypes of psychiatric disorders, particularly autism, using novel computational approaches, neuroimaging-derived brain circuit fingerprints and transcriptomic signatures. A second project focuses on developing multimodal prognostic markers for psychosis in youth at clinical high risk, using state-of-the-art AI models and multimodal neuroimaging, clinical, and cognitive data.

The position will emphasize advanced computational and AI-based approaches, including predictive modeling, stratification, explainable AI, and integrative multimodal analysis. The scholar will have opportunities to lead first-author publications, develop independent lines of inquiry, present at national and international conferences, and collaborate with a multidisciplinary network of investigators. The position provides strong mentorship and career development support for candidates pursuing independent research careers in precision psychiatry, neuroimaging, computational neuroscience, AI for mental health, and/or multimodal data science.

Required Qualifications:

• A PhD, MD/PhD, or equivalent research doctoral degree in neuroscience, biomedical data science, computer science, psychology, psychiatry, statistics, engineering, applied mathematics, or a related field
• Demonstrated expertise in one or more of the following areas:
  • Machine/deep learning, artificial intelligence, statistical modeling, or computational modeling
  • Human neuroimaging analysis, including functional MRI, structural MRI, connectivity, or brain circuit modeling
  • Computational psychiatry, clinical neuroscience, or developmental psychopathology
  • Analysis of large-scale multimodal datasets
  • Explainable AI, predictive modeling, stratification, or biomarker development
  • Programming in Python, R, MATLAB, or related scientific computing environments
  • Reproducible research practices, including version control, high-performance computing, and open science workflows
  • Strong quantitative skills as well as excellent written and oral communication abilities.
  • A strong record of scholarly productivity
  • The ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary research team
  • Prior experience with autism, psychosis, schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, or developmental psychopathology is desirable

Required Application Materials:

• Brief cover letter describing research interests, relevant experience, research accomplishments, career goals, and fit with the position
• Current CV
• Contact information for three references
• Up to three representative publications or preprints

Please email application materials as a single PDF to supekarlab@stanford.edu with the subject line: Postdoctoral Scholar.

For additional information about the position, please contact Dr. Supekar at the same email address.