(Senior) Postdoctoral Research Scientist – Generative AI for Biological Design

Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Scientist (SC6) or Senior Postdoctoral Research Scientist (SC5) to join Professor Ke Li’s newly established AI for Biology Group at the Earlham Institute, Norwich, UK. This is a full-time, 36-month position, with the possibility of extension.

The group builds on Professor Li’s established and well-funded programme in fundamental AI, AI co-scientists and biological discovery, including RNA sequence–function modelling, structure prediction and inverse design. At Earlham, the group will develop an ambitious Generative Digital Biology (GDB) programme: experimentally grounded AI systems that generate biological designs, prioritise informative experiments and learn from experimental feedback.

The role

We seek an ambitious researcher to develop original generative AI methods for biological design and closed-loop discovery. The successful candidate will create algorithms that generate and refine candidate designs, optimise experiments under uncertainty, and integrate model predictions with real-world experimental feedback.

The emphasis is on advancing AI methodology—not simply applying existing tools to biological datasets. Depending on expertise, the research may involve generative modelling, reinforcement learning, Bayesian optimisation, active learning, uncertainty quantification, causal modelling or optimisation in complex search spaces.

The post offers substantial freedom to shape a frontier research direction, publish in leading AI and computational-biology venues, contribute to major funding proposals, and collaborate across the Institute on AI-guided design-build-test-learn workflows, open algorithms, benchmarks and reproducible research.

Research environment

You will have access to substantial AI infrastructure, including dedicated NVIDIA H200 GPU servers, additional capacity through the Norwich Data Centre, and national-scale compute through Isambard-AI. Collaboration with the Earlham Biofoundry provides routes to model-guided experimental design and, where appropriate, closed-loop workflows supported by established laboratory automation. Earlham’s position within Norwich Research Park also enables close interaction with world-leading bioscientists.

About you

You will have a PhD, awarded or expected within six months, in Computer Science, AI, Machine Learning, Computational Biology, Mathematics, Statistics, Physics, Engineering or a related quantitative discipline.

You should have excellent coding and system development skills, and practical experience with PyTorch, JAX or TensorFlow. Applicants should demonstrate depth in one or more relevant areas, experience developing original AI methods for scientific discovery, design, optimisation or decision-making, and high-quality research outputs appropriate to career stage.

Experience at the interface of AI and biology—including biological foundation models, sequence design, genomics, single-cell data, synthetic biology or drug discovery—is advantageous, but outstanding candidates from other scientific or methodological domains are encouraged to apply.

Appointment at SC5 requires additional evidence of research leadership, independence, delivery of a research direction with limited supervision, leadership of high-quality outputs, and the ability to coordinate collaborations, support junior researchers and contribute substantively to publications and grant applications. Experience in closed-loop experimental design or another sequential decision-making setting with real-world feedback would be particularly valuable.

Salary: £39,000–£46,500 at SC6 or £47,450–£52,560 at SC5, depending on experience and appointment level.

This role meets the criteria for a visa application. Earlham Institute is a Disability Confident employer and guarantees an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria.

Closing date: 4 September 2026

Further information: https://colalab.ai/

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