Research Scientist

Research Scientist

Department: AST

Employment Type: Full Time

Location: Gainesville, FL

Reporting To: Sr. Vice President of Development, Advanced Surgical Technologies

Description

The research scientist is responsible for conducting rigorous and reproducible AI/ML activities to support the development of machine learning-based features and software in orthopaedic medical devices. This includes collaborative research initiatives, development and validation of algorithms, and contributions to regulatory documentation and product development

Key Responsibilities

• Collaborate with cross-functional stakeholders, including product and service teams, to define research questions and execute research initiatives related to Exactech Products
• Design, develop, and validate advanced machine learning algorithms for applications across medical imaging, computer vision, gait analysis, joint biomechanics, and sensor-based data analysis
• Contribute to multimodal data integration, combining information from navigation systems, wearable sensors, imaging data, and clinical meta data to aid in the development of clinical support decision tools.
• Support the design and execution of pre-clinical studies, including data analysis and reporting
• Apply generative AI techniques to augment training datasets and improve robustness and generalizability of models.
• Ensure algorithms interpretability, robustness, and fairness by incorporating principles of responsible AI.
• Contribute to the generation of research documentation for regulatory submissions, including model documentation, performance reports, and validation evidence.
• Maintain well-documented and organized code and data repositories to ensure reproducibility and transparency.
• Stay up to date with developments in medical AI/ML, Orthopaedics, wearable sensing, computer-assisted surgery; contribute to internal knowledge sharing and external scientific communication when applicable,
• May contribute to patents, publications, and conference submissions based on research innovations.
• Know and apply the quality system and relevant Federal and International standards
  
  

Skills Knowledge and Expertise

Education:

• PhD or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Biomedical Engineering, Statistics, or a closely related field

 Experience:

• Experience in AI/ML research applied to biomedical, orthopaedic, or healthcare domains, preferably in regulated environment.
• Experience working with computer-assisted surgery systems or robotic platforms in clinical or preclinical research settings.
• Experience with wearable sensors deployment, sensor fusion, and real-time data analysis pipelines.
• Proficient in biomechanical tools including fluoroscopy systems, OpenSim, and motion capture labs (e.g., Vicon) for musculoskeletal modeling and kinematic assessment.
• Demonstrated track record of research contributions through peer-reviewed publications in medical AI/ML or orthopaedic technology. 
  
  

Functional/Technical Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Required:

• Strong background in technical principles, methods, and practices in the following areas: computer vision, machine learning, generative AI, medical imaging, and statistical methods (linear algebra, calculus).
• Demonstrate strong programming skills in Python and experience with cloud-based ML (e.g., AWS, Microsoft Azure, Github, TensorFlow, PyTorch, Docker).
• Possess a deep understanding of scalable ML workflows, including data pipelines, evaluation frameworks, and deployment to production.
• Have experience shipping ML models in production environments and conducting real-world validation.
• Excellent communication (verbal & written) and organizational skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and must be able to work effectively in a remote team environment.