FLSA Status
Job Summary:
Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Associate position at Purdue University, co-mentored by Nan Kong, PhD (Biomedical Engineering and Industrial Engineering), and Serena Guo, MD, PhD (Pharmacy Practice). The project will develop a causal multimodal foundation model integrating electronic health record (EHR) trajectories, molecular profiles, and longitudinal wearable/mobile sensor data to estimate treatment effects and identify heterogeneous treatment responses.
The fellow will combine representation learning, causal inference, longitudinal modeling, and operations research, with interdisciplinary mentorship and professional development to support an independent academic career.
Research Areas:
The fellow will contribute to the following interconnected areas:
• Multimodal foundation models and transferable patient representations across temporal scales, missingness patterns, and measurement processes
• Causal inference for longitudinal treatment effects, addressing confounding and clinical treatment selection
• Treatment-response heterogeneity and operations research methods for individualized treatment decision-making
Primary Responsibilities:
• Develop and evaluate new methods combining multimodal representation learning and causal treatment-effect estimation.
• Integrate and analyze biomedical data; assess model transferability, uncertainty, and subgroup treatment responses.
• Lead manuscripts, contribute to grant proposals and reproducible research tools, and collaborate across engineering, data science, and health sciences.
Core Qualifications:
1. PhD in operations research, industrial or biomedical engineering, biomedical/health informatics, computer science, statistics, biostatistics, computational biology, or a related field. Candidates nearing completion of their doctorate are welcome to apply; the degree must be completed by the appointment start date.
2. Strong quantitative and computational skills, with experience in one or more of causal inference, machine learning/foundation models, multimodal learning, longitudinal modeling, optimization, or biomedical data analytics.
3. Demonstrated methodological research ability, scholarly productivity, and strong communication and collaboration skills. Python proficiency and experience with modern machine-learning frameworks are desirable.
Additional Fellowship Opportunity:
Applicants are also encouraged to apply for Purdue’s Lillian Gilbreth Postdoctoral Fellowships, which offer interdisciplinary research training and professional development for academic careers. Fellowship awards are subject to program eligibility and competitive selection. The applicant link is towards the bottom of the website. To be considered for this fellowship, please submit your application by October 16, 2026.
Application Materials:
Curriculum vitae; cover letter describing research interests, relevant methodological and computational experience, and career goals; and contact information for three references. General postdoctoral applications are separate from the Gilbreth Fellowship application process.
Co-Mentors/Application Contacts
Nan Kong, PhD — Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Industrial Engineering; nkong@purdue.edu
Jingchuan Serena Guo, MD, PhD — Associate Professor of Pharmacy Practice; serena.guo@purdue.edu
Purdue University is an equal opportunity/equal access university.