Sr. Research Scientist

At Gilead, we’re creating a healthier world for all people. For more than 35 years, we’ve tackled diseases such as HIV, viral hepatitis, COVID-19 and cancer – working relentlessly to develop therapies that help improve lives and to ensure access to these therapies across the globe. We continue to fight against the world’s biggest health challenges, and our mission requires collaboration, determination and a relentless drive to make a difference.
 

Every member of Gilead’s team plays a critical role in the discovery and development of life-changing scientific innovations. Our employees are our greatest asset as we work to achieve our bold ambitions, and we’re looking for the next wave of passionate and ambitious people ready to make a direct impact.
 

We believe every employee deserves a great leader. People Leaders are the cornerstone to the employee experience at Gilead and Kite. As a people leader now or in the future, you are the key driver in evolving our culture and creating an environment where every employee feels included, developed and empowered to fulfil their aspirations. Join Gilead and help create possible, together.

Job Description
 

Gilead's mission is to discover, develop, and deliver therapies that will improve the lives of patients with life-threatening illnesses

worldwide.

The Senior Research Scientist, Pathobiology will be responsible for the following:

Job Description

The Research Pathobiology group at Gilead Sciences is seeking a talented and highly motivated imaging data scientist to advance discovery research and development projects at our Foster City, CA headquarters.

As part of the computational pathology team within Research Pathobiology, you will support imaging biomarker development efforts for clinical drug applications by:

• Analyzing pathology imaging data (e.g., H&E, IHC, CISH, mIF, CODEX, Spatial Transcriptomics) generated across Gilead’s drug development pipeline.

• Developing image analysis tools using commercial, internal, and open-source packages.

• Building automated image analysis pipelines for deployment on-premises and in cloud-based high-performance computing (HPC) environments.

The role requires extensive cross-functional collaboration with pathologists, biologists, biomarker scientists, data and imaging scientists, and IT personnel.

The primary focus is supporting image analysis initiatives, with an emphasis on developing and applying novel deep learning and machine learning approaches to advance our understanding of pathobiology in oncology, virology, fibrosis, and inflammation.

The candidate will also partner with clinical imaging and data management teams to deploy, maintain, and integrate computational solutions on HPC in the cloud.

Essential Duties and Job Functions: 

- Support the development of advanced analytics, computer vision, and computational tools to derive novel imaging-based biomarker endpoints.

- Collaborate with internal and external scientific partners to design, execute, and validate analytic strategies for tissue-based endpoints and imaging biomarkers supporting Gilead’s drug discovery and development pipelines.

- Evaluate and implement new computational approaches in digital pathology to extract histopathological endpoints and perform spatial analyses.

- Curate and prepare large imaging datasets for deep learning (DL) model training and development, including targeted models (tissue compartmentalization, cell phenotyping, etc.) and pathology foundation models.

- Contribute to imaging data management strategies and solutions within Gilead.

- Identify best practices and innovation opportunities relevant to image analysis projects.

- Effectively communicate findings and progress through reports, presentations, and publications for both expert and non-expert stakeholders.

Education/Basic Qualifications:

• 2 + years of experience with a PhD in a relevant quantitative field (e.g., Computer Science, Biomedical Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, Statistics); postdoctoral experience is a plus, OR

• 6 years + with an MS degree in Computer Science/Biomedical Engineering with 4+ years of industry experience, OR

• 8+ years with a BS degree in Computer Science/Biomedical Engineering with 6+ years of industry experience

Knowledge, Experience, and Skills: 

• Proficiency in deep learning and data science libraries such as PyTorch, Pandas, scikit-learn and NumPy; experience with image processing packages such as OpenSlide, OpenCV, MONAI, or Elastix is a plus.

• Demonstrated expertise in Python for scientific computing and imaging data analysis; experience with additional programming languages is a plus.

• Extensive experience with DL models and architectures for image segmentation and classification such as ResNet, U-Net, and transformer-based models (e.g., ViT, Swin Transformer); familiarity with other ML algorithms (e.g., Logistic Regression, Random Forest, SVM)..

• Experience managing end-to-end ML/DL/AI projects, including data engineering, resource management, model training, selection, evaluation, and stakeholder communication.

• Up-to-date knowledge of advances in AI research and its application to medical imaging and digital pathology.

• Solid understanding of the mathematical and statistical foundations of machine learning and medical image analysis (e.g., optimization, image registration, segmentation, classification).

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Ability to multitask and prioritize while maintaining high standards of efficiency and quality.

• Self-motivated with a strong commitment to accuracy and excellence.

Preferred qualifications:

• Fluency in scientific computing environments (e.g., Unix/Linux shell), particularly in HPC and cloud-based clusters, is a plus.

• Publication record in deep learning, machine learning, or statistics, particularly in digital pathology, is a plus.

• Strong understanding of medical image data formats and challenges associated with large pathology images (e.g., WSI, CODEX, ST); experience analyzing whole-slide images is a plus.

• Experience with manipulating, analyzing, and visualizing large internal, public, and commercial imaging datasets is a plus.

• Familiarity with cell biology and microscopy is a plus.

People Leader Accountabilities:

•Create Inclusion - knowing the business value of diverse teams, modeling inclusion, and embedding the value of diversity in the

way they manage their teams.

•Develop Talent - understand the skills, experience, aspirations and potential of their employees and coach them on current

performance and future potential. They ensure employees are receiving the feedback and insight needed to grow, develop and

realize their purpose.

•Empower Teams - connect the team to the organization by aligning goals, purpose, and organizational objectives, and holding

them to account. They provide the support needed to remove barriers and connect their team to the broader ecosystem.

 

The salary range for this position is: $169,320.00 - $219,120.00. Gilead considers a variety of factors when determining base compensation, including experience, qualifications, and geographic location. These considerations mean actual compensation will vary. This position may also be eligible for a discretionary annual bonus, discretionary stock-based long-term incentives (eligibility may vary based on role), paid time off, and a benefits package. Benefits include company-sponsored medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans*.

For additional benefits information, visit:

https://www.gilead.com/careers/compensation-benefits-and-wellbeing

* Eligible employees may participate in benefit plans, subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable plans.

For jobs in the United States:

Gilead Sciences Inc. is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment, and is dedicated to fostering an inclusive work environment comprised of diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences. Employment decisions regarding recruitment and selection will be made without discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, genetic information or characteristic, gender identity and expression, veteran status, or other non-job related characteristics or other prohibited grounds specified in applicable federal, state and local laws. In order to ensure reasonable accommodation for individuals protected by Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Act of 1974, and Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, applicants who require accommodation in the job application process may contact ApplicantAccommodations@gilead.com for assistance.

For more information about equal employment opportunity protections, please view the 'Know Your Rights' poster.

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Gilead Sciences will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, (c) consistent with the  legal duty to furnish information; or (d) otherwise protected by law.
 

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Gilead provides a work environment free of harassment and prohibited conduct. We promote and support individual differences and diversity of thoughts and opinion.

For Current Gilead Employees and Contractors:

Please apply via the Internal Career Opportunities portal in Workday.