Data Scientist (PhD)

Role Summary

Caris Life Sciences is seeking a Data Scientist to join our Computational Pathology team. This role will focus on data preparation, integration, exploratory analyses, hypothesis-driven research, and scientific writing, playing a key role in generating high-quality datasets and insights for research publications, abstracts, and presentations. The ideal candidate will be a hands-on data scientist with a strong analytical mindset, capable of working with complex biomedical datasets and translating findings into impactful scientific outputs.

Responsibilities

• Data Preparation & Management
  • Extract, clean, and integrate data from diverse sources, including histopathology, molecular, and clinical datasets.
  • Build efficient queries and data pipelines to support research studies, modeling, and publication efforts.
  • Validate data quality and maintain documentation for reproducibility and regulatory requirements.
• Exploratory Data Analysis & Reporting
  • Perform exploratory analyses to identify patterns, generate hypotheses, and guide design and discovery research.
  • Generate descriptive statistics, summary tables, and visualizations for internal use and external publications.
  • Provide timely ad hoc analyses and reporting for cross-functional teams and collaborators.
• Hypothesis-Driven Data Analysis
  • Collaborate with scientists and clinicians to design studies guided by specific research questions.
  • Formulate testable hypotheses based on prior data, literature, and exploratory findings.
  • Develop analytic plans to evaluate hypotheses using appropriate statistical and computational methods.
  • Interpret results in the context of clinical and biological relevance.
  • Provide actionable insights that inform experimental design, model development, and publication strategy.
• Scientific Writing & Publication Support
  • Collaborate with scientists and clinicians to draft and edit manuscripts, abstracts, and conference presentations.
  • Prepare clear documentation of study methodology, datasets, and analytic workflows.
  • Develop figures, tables, and supplementary materials for peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences.
  • Ensure publications meet the standards of high-impact journals and scientific rigor.
• Collaboration & Cross-Functional Support
  • Partner with statisticians, data scientists, and researchers to define data needs and resolve data-related issues.
  • Communicate findings effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences.
  • Contribute to the overall scientific strategy by providing data-driven insights.

Qualifications

• Required: PhD in Data Science, Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, Statistics, Biology, or related field with exposure to cancer biology or biomedical research.
• Required: 1 ‚Äì 3 years‚Äô experience in data science.
• Required: Strong analytical skills and experience working with large, complex datasets.
• Required: Proficiency in Python or R for data manipulation, analysis, and visualization.
• Required: Experience with SQL and working with relational databases.
• Required: Excellent written communication skills, with demonstrated experience drafting or contributing to manuscripts, abstracts, or technical reports.
• Required: Ability to think critically about data and study design to generate robust and reproducible results.
• Required: Strong collaboration and problem-solving skills, with the ability to work in multidisciplinary teams.
• Required: Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, specifically Word, Excel, Outlook, and general working knowledge of Internet for business use.

Preferred Qualifications

• Background in oncology, precision medicine, or translational research.
• Experience preparing datasets for statistical modeling or AI-based analyses.
• Familiarity with whole slide images (WSIs) or other medical imaging data.
• Knowledge of cloud computing platforms such as AWS, Azure, or GCP.
• Track record of contributions to peer-reviewed publications or conference presentations.

Physical Demands

• Primarily computer-based work, with collaboration through in-person meetings or remote conferencing.

Training

• All job-specific, safety, and compliance training will be provided based on assigned responsibilities.

Other

• Occasional after-hours response may be required to meet project deadlines.
• Limited travel may be required for conferences or collaborative meetings.