Research Scientist, Data Analysis
Convergent Research · San Francisco, CA
Extracted from the posting
Arbor Neuroscience's research scientist will analyze longitudinal functional ultrasound and electrophysiology data from human and animal experiments. Responsibilities include image processing, registration and alignment, online analysis for closed-loop experiments, and intervention and experiment design. Required skills are a quantitative PhD or equivalent, strong coding ability, and depth in signal processing, statistics, machine learning, or imaging analysis.
About Arbor Neuroscience
(formerly Forest Neurotech)
Arbor is a nonprofit research organization working on one of the hardest open problems in clinical neuroscience: how to change brain circuits by design.
Millions of people with depression, chronic pain, and other brain disorders have no treatment that works. Modulating activity in the brain circuits underlying their symptoms – with electrical stimulation, focused ultrasound, or magnetic stimulation – can work spectacularly well. But it doesn't work reliably, and we can't predict who it will help.
That's what Arbor aims to fix. The starting point is a new class of experiment: intervene, measure how the circuit responds, track the symptom, and repeat in the same individual over months. We’re building the necessary experimental platform. It currently includes the Forest 1 ultrasound system, which works like a wearable functional MRI, but with higher resolution. The system images activity across large brain volumes, including deep brain structures, and will soon stimulate as well. We are also adding electrode-based interfaces in animal studies. From these data, we'll build models to make neuromodulation predictable.
Arbor is a Focused Research Organization within the Convergent Research family, and the new name for Forest Neurotech. We're a mission-focused nonprofit, doing multidisciplinary translational work that doesn't fit in a lab or on a company roadmap. We have the funding to run the first phase, and we're a small team – the people we hire now will shape what Arbor becomes.
The Role
What You’ll Do
Who We’re Looking For
- A strong quantitative background: a PhD, or comparable training in an equally demanding environment such as industry
- Real depth in several of: signal processing, statistics and inference, machine learning, medical or brain imaging analysis, control theory, computational neuroscience; we don't expect all of them
- Strong coding skills
- A significant body of independent work you can point to
- The judgment to tell a problem that can be solved with standard statistical methods from one that requires a more sophisticated approach – and the discipline to prefer the simpler answer
- A self-starter with the skills and instinct to find the shortest effective path to the scientific goal, rather than the most interesting one
- Directness without friction – you say what you think, ask when you don't know, and aren't looking to compete with your colleagues
Our benefits include:
- Medical, dental, and vision – most plans fully covered for you and your dependents
- 401(k) with up to 6% match
- Company-paid life and AD&D, with voluntary supplemental options
- 15 holidays plus a floating day for your birthday
- 3 weeks PTO increasing with tenure, and separate sick leave
Arbor will consider sponsorship for U.S. work authorization case by case. Sponsorship isn't guaranteed, and immigration timelines can affect start dates. Where we sponsor, we cover the legal and government fees.
Arbor is an equal opportunity employer. We hire based on talent and experience and don't discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Compensation: USD 183,000 – 210,000 per year salary
