Cloud-native High-Performance Computing for Bioinformatics with Mental Health Data

Institute or Center: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA)

Project: Cloud-Native High-Performance Computing for Bioinformatics with Complex Data

Skills Sought:

• cloud engineering/architecture
• extensive experience in human-centered software design practices
• knowledge of cybersecurity best practices
• experience with multiple cloud service providers
• experience with or understanding of bioinformatics and/or biomedical research

About the position: NIMH and NIDA seek a cloud architect/engineer to join their team as a DATA Scholar to catalyze mental health and substance abuse research by transforming brain imaging analysis tools into efficient and secure cloud applications. 

The DATA Scholar will serve as an ambassador for the value of human-centered design for bioinformatics software. By the end of their tenure, the Scholar will have participated in empirical research to determine if their work enhances brain imaging research in these areas. If the design approach is translatable to other biomedical data repositories, the Scholar’s impact on using data to improve human health will endure long after their tenure. 

About the work: To date, biomedical researchers have not broadly adopted the use of cloud computing resources. The DATA Scholar will work with neuroimaging researchers to design containerized tools that the researchers will want to use and can customize for future research needs. The Scholar will work with some of the NIMH Data Archive’s 1,800 active users, as well as with researchers at the NIH.

Datasets involved:

• the ABCD Study dataset includes multimodal brain images and extensive longitudinal data on social, behavioral, academic, health, and other outcomes.
• NIH’s Human Connectome Project applied leading edge imaging technologies on research subjects across the lifespan and from diverse disease populations.

These datasets are astoundingly rich but difficult to analyze without the availability of user-friendly and affordable tools.

Why this project matters:

• Moving these data analysis pipelines into the cloud will simultaneously increase access to the data, facilitate diverse collaborations, and promote responsible data use. This will positively transform the culture of computational bioinformatics at NIH and beyond.
• User-friendly cloud analysis tools will increase the diversity of researchers who can securely work with complex brain imaging and related datasets, bringing new talent to longstanding neuroscience research challenges.

Work Location: Bethesda, MD

Work environment: Scholar will engage directly and iteratively with NIH and academic computational research teams. This could be a transformational career opportunity to cultivate a collaborator network that encompasses the biomedical research, data science, and information technology communities.

To apply to this or other DATA Scholar positions, please see instructions here: datascience.nih.gov/data-scholars