Post-Doctoral Fellow

Job Summary:

The Gao Lab at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus welcomes applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow focused on foundational and system-level research in large language models.

Dr. Gao's lab advances foundational and system-level language technologies with the goal of enabling reliable, efficient, and clinically meaningful real-world applications, particularly in medicine and health. The lab conducts method-driven research in natural language processing (NLP) and artificial intelligence (AI), with an emphasis on LLM reasoning, uncertainty quantification, interpretability, and knowledge-augmented modeling. By studying and improving how LLMs are trained, calibrated, and deployed, the lab aims to build principled AI systems that can be integrated into high-stakes healthcare environments. We seek candidates whose research interests and working style align with a collaborative and principled research environment. Additional information about the lab's philosophy and values is available on the lab website (www.larknlp.com).

Example research directions include (but are not limited to):

* Methodological advances in large language models for efficiency, reliability, and controllability

* Learning and calibration strategies for uncertainty-aware language model prediction

* Knowledge-augmented and neuro-symbolic approaches for language-based reasoning

* Evaluation and design of LLM-based systems for high-stakes real-world applications

Responsibilities also include contributing to the ideation and design of new studies, managing data cleaning and wrangling efforts, and preparing scientific communications such as abstracts, oral and poster presentations, scientific manuscripts, and research grant proposals. The projects within the lab aim to transform healthcare through AI by improving the accuracy and efficiency of medical diagnostics and patient care documentation processes.

The postdoc and PI will jointly envision projects tailored to the fellow's skillset and long-term career goals. Postdocs will be expected to carry out computational research, develop novel AI and NLP methods, analyze data, and disseminate their findings, software, and data to the biomedical community. The postdoc will also join a highly interactive, supportive, and interdisciplinary group of faculty, staff scientists, postdoctoral fellows, engineers, and students in Department for Biomedical Informatics. They will enjoy access to state-of-the-art equipment and facilities on the Anschutz Medical Campus.

The Department of Biomedical Informatics fosters a thriving community of researchers at the University of Colorado School of Medicine who are inventing and deploying advanced analytics and knowledge integration approaches. The goal of building this community is to make the Anschutz Medical Campus a leader in translating data into advances in research practice, health care delivery, and population health and in scaling these to provide nationwide benefit through innovative technologies.

Key Responsibilities:

Research (65%)

* Investigate literatures to identify existing solutions and the problem

* Develop and apply state-of-the-art natural language processing algorithms and models to multimodal data (unstructured and structured text, knowledge graph, etc)

* Design and conduct experiments to test hypotheses with applied statistics

* Analyze and interpret results, present research progress to meetings with PIs, and publish results to peer-reviewed manuscripts in conference proceedings and journals

* Assist PI with grant writing

* Communication (15%)

* Present research progress at lab meeting and project meetings with collaborators

* Prepare abstract/manuscripts for journal and conference paper submission, present at the local and international conferences.

* Mentoring and collaboration (10%)

* Mentor and train other group members, such as graduate and undergraduate students.

* Pursue computational, experimental, and clinical collaborations.

* Career development (5%)

* Work with the PI to develop and progress the candidate's career goals.

* Attend career development seminars and networking events.

* Administrative Duties (5%)

* Complete required research training.

* Perform general administrative duties as requested by the PI.

Work Location:

Hybrid - this role is eligible for a hybrid schedule of 3 days per week on campus and as needed for in-person meetings.

Why Join Us:

According to the Nature Index, the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and its affiliated hospitals are ranked among the top five research hospitals globally, underscoring the campus's strength in biomedical and health-related research. The Department of Biomedical Informatics (DBMI), located in the magnificent new Health Science building with a fabulous view of the Rocky Mountains, provides a fantastic environment for trainees to thrive and pursue their career goals. DBMI has a dedicated team for Grants Development and Scientific Writing, and a Software Engineering Team that can provide invaluable feedback to improve the quality of your code and your programming skills.

The Gao Lab at DBMI provides a dynamic and innovative environment where cutting-edge NLP and AI research meets practical medical applications. Collaborate daily with medical doctors and other healthcare professionals to develop solutions that have immediate and tangible effects on patient care. As the largest academic health sciences campus in the Rocky Mountain region, CU Anschutz encompasses six health professional schools, over 60 centers and institutes, and two nationally ranked partner hospitals. This vibrant department offers unique opportunities for growth, collaboration, and impact. Our location not only provides unprecedented access to urban amenities and cultural experiences in Denver but also places you minutes away from some of the nation's best outdoor activities, including hiking in the Rocky Mountains and skiing in Vail and Aspen.

The PI is committed to supporting the candidate's research progress and career development, including exploring new project areas and collaborations. With her experience in grant-writing to transition to an independent position in academia (NIH K99/R00), the PI will provide guidance and feedback into this direction if aligned with the candidate's goals. The Gao Lab also provides numerous opportunity for national and international collaborations with researchers across the field of NLP, AI, Human Computer Interaction, Biomedical Informatics, Medicine, and Education.

Why work for the University?

The University of Colorado offers a comprehensive benefits package. To see what benefits are available for Post-Doctoral Fellows, please visit:

* Payroll & Benefits Orientation for Post-Doctoral Fellows | University of Colorado (cu.edu)

* benefits guide cover-post-doc-2024 (cu.edu)

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:

Applicants must meet minimum qualifications at the time of hire.

* PhD in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Computational Linguistics, Machine learning, Computer Engineering or related fields

Preferred Qualifications:

* Strong experience implementing and training deep learning models in PyTorch, with attention to efficiency, scalability, and reproducibility

* Demonstrated experience with NLP state-of-the-art models (Deepseek, Llama, Mistral, GPT-4, BERT etc)

* Experience with large language models beyond prompt engineering, such as fine-tuning, distillation, calibration, or representation analysis

* Familiarity with multimodal modeling, programmatic or structured generation, or model-based content generation

* Experience with retrieval-augmented generation, agentic or multi-stage workflows, or knowledge-integrated models

* A strong publication record in top-tier AI/NLP venues (ACL, EMNLP, NeurIPS, ICLR, AAAI, etc.)

* Experience with biomedical dataset and electronic health record is preferred, but not a must

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

* Proficiency in scientific communication as evidenced by peer-reviewed conference proceedings (journals) manuscripts and presentations at national or international conferences.

How to Apply:

For full consideration, please submit the following document(s):

1. A letter of interest describing relevant job experiences as they relate to listed job qualifications and interest in the position

2. Curriculum vitae / Resume

3. Five professional references including name, address, phone number (mobile number if appropriate), and email address

Applications are accepted electronically ONLY at www.cu.edu/cu-careers.

Questions should be directed to: Yanjun Gao, yanjun.gao@cuanschutz.edu

Screening of Applications Begins:

Immediately and continues until position is filled. For best consideration, apply by February 1, 2026.

Anticipated Pay Range:

The starting salary range (or hiring range) for this position has been established as HIRING RANGE:

$73,000

The above salary range (or hiring range) represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting. This position is not eligible for overtime compensation unless it is non-exempt.

Your total compensation goes beyond the number on your paycheck. The University of Colorado provides generous leave, health plans and retirement contributions that add to your bottom line.

Total Compensation Calculator: http://www.cu.edu/node/153125

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

The University of Colorado (CU) is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

ADA Statement:

The University will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities throughout the employment application process. To request an accommodation pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, please contact the Human Resources ADA Coordinator at hr.adacoordinator@ucdenver.edu.

Background Check Statement:

The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is dedicated to ensuring a safe and secure environment for our faculty, staff, students and visitors. To assist in achieving that goal, we conduct background investigations for all prospective employees.

Vaccination Statement:

CU Anschutz strongly encourages vaccination against the COVID-19 virus and other vaccine preventable diseases. If you work, visit, or volunteer in healthcare facilities or clinics operated by our affiliated hospital or clinical partners or by CU Anschutz, you will be required to comply with the vaccination and medical surveillance policies of the facilities or clinics where you work, visit, or volunteer, respectively. In addition, if you work in certain research areas or perform certain safety sensitive job duties, you must enroll in the occupational health medical surveillance program.