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Research Scientist/Engineer

Astera Institute· AI Research
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Hybrid (Emeryville HQ)$150k - $300kFull-timePosted 8mo ago

About the role

Research Scientist/Engineer focused on developing foundational principles of Artificial General Intelligence by bridging biological intelligence, computational theory, and scalable systems.

Responsibilities

  • Fundamental research on brain-like world models: Develop and implement new architectures and learning algorithms for neuroscience-based world models. Draw on insights from deep learning, causality, probabilistic and energy based models, and biologically inspired architectures.
  • Scientific Discovery: Design experiments to test hypotheses regarding high-level cognition, causal representations, sensory-motor integration, active inference, and unsupervised learning.
  • Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration: Work alongside neuroscientists and software engineers to translate abstract mathematical frameworks into scalable systems.
  • Contribute to open science: Help innovate new publication models that incentivize speedy dissemination, open source code releases, free open access, and impact measurements based on uptake.

Qualifications

  • PhD in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Neuroscience, Physics, or a related quantitative field (or exceptional non-traditional background)
  • Strong foundations in deep learning, graphical models, and information theory
  • Expert-level skills in deep learning frameworks (PyTorch/JAX) with a focus on clean, reproducible research code
  • AGI mindset with interest in robustness, generalization, and common-sense reasoning
  • Genuine passion for exploring computational and architectural principles of the mammalian brain
  • Startup DNA: ability to thrive in a lean, fast-paced environment with high autonomy and influence on research direction

Skills

Required:Brain-like world modelsDeep learningGraphical modelsPyTorch/JAX
Nice to have:Information theory

Benefits

  • Benefits summary (linked in the job description)
Last updated Sep 23, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.

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