Clinical, Microbiome & Translational Research Scientist (PhD) - Remote

Clinical, Microbiome & Translational Research Scientist (PhD) - Remote

Job Type: Contract
Work Location: Remote – Worldwide
Openings: 50
Compensation: $93,600–$187,200 annually ($45–$90/hour)
Experience Level: PhD / Advanced Research
Field: Microbiology, Microbiome Research, Bioinformatics & Translational Medicine

About the Role

Are you a PhD-qualified scientist with expertise in microbiome research, clinical bioinformatics, or translational life sciences?

We are seeking experienced researchers to contribute to the development and evaluation of next-generation artificial intelligence (AI) systems. In this remote contract opportunity, you will apply your scientific knowledge, research experience, and analytical expertise to help improve how advanced AI models interpret biological data, reason through complex scientific problems, and generate reliable research insights.

You will develop challenging, research-driven scientific questions, evaluate AI-generated scientific outputs, validate complex biological interpretations, and create high-quality reference solutions grounded in peer-reviewed literature and established research methodologies.

This opportunity is particularly suited to researchers with advanced expertise in microbiome science, metagenomics, clinical genomics, and translational bioinformatics who can critically evaluate scientific evidence and communicate complex findings with precision.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and develop challenging, expert-level scientific problems in microbiome research, metagenomics, clinical bioinformatics, and translational life sciences.

• Create accurate, reproducible, and verifiable reference solutions to complex biological and clinical research questions.

• Evaluate AI-generated scientific outputs for accuracy, methodological rigor, statistical validity, and depth of reasoning.

• Identify subtle scientific errors, inappropriate assumptions, analytical limitations, and unsupported conclusions that require specialist knowledge to detect.

• Develop detailed evaluation rubrics, benchmarks, and reference answers grounded in primary scientific literature and established methodologies.

• Apply domain expertise across 16S rRNA sequencing, shotgun metagenomics, microbiome profiling, virome analysis, host–microbiome interactions, and microbial community characterization.

• Assess research involving biomarker discovery, clinical genomics, oncology, immunology, and omics-driven precision medicine.

• Evaluate statistical approaches and computational workflows used in high-dimensional biological and clinical datasets.

• Document scientific reasoning and provide clear explanations that enable other specialists to independently review and validate findings.

• Participate in iterative feedback, quality assurance, and peer-review processes to maintain high scientific standards.

Required Qualifications

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

• PhD in Microbiology, Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Biomedical Sciences, Immunology, Epidemiology, or a closely related scientific discipline.

• Hands-on research experience in an academic, clinical, or industry research laboratory. Wet-lab experience is an advantage.

• Strong understanding of scientific research methodologies, biological data analysis, and research interpretation.

• Demonstrated expertise in at least one or more relevant areas of microbiome science, metagenomics, clinical bioinformatics, or translational research.

• Excellent analytical reasoning, scientific writing, and technical documentation skills.

• Professional proficiency in written and spoken English (C1 level or higher).

• Ability to communicate complex scientific concepts accurately and clearly.

Preferred Technical Expertise

Experience in the following areas will be highly advantageous:

1. Microbiome Research & Metagenomics

• 16S rRNA sequencing and microbiome profiling.

• Shotgun metagenomic sequencing and microbial community analysis.

• Microbial taxonomy, functional profiling, and diversity analysis.

• Virome analysis and host–microbiome interactions.

• Metagenome-assembled genome (MAG) reconstruction, assembly, and binning.

• Experience with QIIME 2, Kraken2, MetaPhlAn, and HUMAnN.

2. Clinical & Translational Bioinformatics

• Clinical genomics and translational research workflows.

• Biomarker discovery and validation.

• Analysis of large-scale clinical and biomedical datasets.

• Survival analysis and clinical outcome modeling.

• Integration of electronic health records (EHR) with multi-omics datasets.

• Experience working with resources such as TCGA and UK Biobank.

• Oncology, immunology, and precision medicine genomics.

3. Statistics & Computational Analysis

• Statistical analysis of high-dimensional biological datasets.

• Multivariate analysis, differential abundance testing, and association studies.

• Machine learning applications in microbiome and clinical research.

• Data interpretation, experimental validation, and reproducible analytical workflows.

4. Programming & Scientific Computing

• Python and/or R for biological data analysis and computational research.

• Bash scripting and command-line environments.

• Scientific workflow management and reproducible computational pipelines.

• Experience with relevant bioinformatics libraries, analytical frameworks, and workflow tools.

5. Scientific Research & Evaluation

• Experience interpreting and critically reviewing peer-reviewed scientific literature.

• Scientific benchmarking and evaluation of computational methods.

• Research documentation, technical writing, and evidence-based scientific reporting.

• Ability to assess methodological limitations and distinguish reliable scientific findings from unsupported interpretations.

Additional Advantages

• Postdoctoral or industry research experience in microbiome science, clinical research, bioinformatics, or translational medicine.

• Peer-reviewed publication record, particularly first-author publications in relevant scientific journals.

• Experience with interdisciplinary research involving clinical, computational, and biological sciences.

• Previous involvement in biomarker development, precision medicine, or large-scale omics research.

• Experience reviewing, benchmarking, or developing scientific content.

• Ability to independently evaluate complex research findings and explain technical concepts to specialist audiences.

What This Opportunity Offers

• Fully Remote: Work from anywhere in the world.

• Competitive Compensation: Earn $45–$90 per hour, equivalent to $93,600–$187,200 annually at 40 hours per week.

• Flexible Contract Engagement: Apply your specialist research knowledge through remote scientific assignments.

• Scientific Impact: Contribute to improving the biological understanding and scientific reasoning capabilities of next-generation AI systems.

• Advanced Research Exposure: Work on challenging scientific problems spanning microbiome research, clinical genomics, metagenomics, and translational medicine.

Who Should Apply?

This opportunity is ideal for PhD-qualified microbiologists, microbiome researchers, computational biologists, bioinformaticians, immunologists, epidemiologists, and translational research scientists with strong analytical and scientific communication capabilities.

Researchers experienced in interpreting complex omics datasets, designing rigorous scientific investigations, and evaluating computational research findings are particularly encouraged to apply.

Apply Now

If you have advanced research expertise in microbiome science, clinical bioinformatics, or translational life sciences and want to contribute to the development of next-generation AI technologies, submit your application for consideration.