2027 PhD / Master's Residency - Nervous System Exploration, Early Stage Project

THE FOUNDATION OF AN AMAZING JOURNEY
Our goal at X is to make the world a radically better place. In order to do that we seek fresh unexpected perspectives, from different fields, and that’s why we’re excited about you.
Life here isn’t easy, but it’s fun. We’re trying to build things most people can’t even imagine, and we’re doing it with the hope of making a huge, positive impact on the world. You’ll be embedded into a moonshot project, where you’ll partner with team members to solve key challenges.
This isn’t your ordinary internship. You’ll be positively challenged and pushed professionally, in ways that you may have never experienced. If this excites you - keep reading.
DETAILS:
Location: X's headquarters in Mountain View, CA
Start Date(s): January/February 2027
Duration: a flexible 6 mo. to 1 year program based on project team needs and your availability
DURING YOUR INTERNSHIP YOU CAN EXPECT:
To be placed on one of our confidential or public X projects
To get paid competitively and with Google benefits
To be part of a lively community of other Interns and Residents
To attend colloquium and discussions with team leads from across Google, DeepMind and external organizations
How you will make 10x impact:
Imagine working on predictive frameworks for human physiology that, when fully realized, could decode complex systemic responses to external inputs and change our approach to health tech by at least 10x if not 100 - 1000x. We're looking for a candidate with a proven track record of translating novel, early-stage science into future roadmaps to help us gather the biological ground truths required to train our broader predictive AI engine.
Conduct literature reviews to evaluate past experimental methodologies.
Apply hands-on clinical or research experience with human neurophysiological modalities (e.g., electrophysiology, autonomic markers, wearables, or central/peripheral neural recordings).
Develop strategies to clean, process, and synthesize noisy, complex, or siloed clinical data sets into structured, actionable insights.
Collaborate closely with technical (AI/ML) and non-technical teams, translating biological realities into engineering constraints.
Engage with the resident community during the program (attending tech talks, and learning moonshot thinking), and most importantly HAVE FUN!
What you should have:
Currently enrolled in a Master’s or PhD program in Neuroscience, Clinical Neurophysiology, Biomedical Engineering or a closely related field.
Experience with human-subject clinical trials or physiological studies.
Strong background in human neuroanatomy and analyzing clinical data to figure out how physiological systems are biologically connected.
Proficiency in architecting data pipelines or processing strategies for large volumes of human physiological data.
Demonstrated ability to write comprehensive scientific reports to establish biological ground truths and inform technical roadmaps.
It’d be great if you also had these:
Coursework in Neural Engineering, Bioelectricity, Systems Neuroscience, or Neuromodulation
Familiarity with clinical neuromodulation therapies and translating human-subject research into actionable hardware or software requirements.
Deep understanding of biological neural networks and mapping peripheral-to-central pathways.
Bonus: Knowledge of advanced computational modeling (such as spiking neural networks or graph neural networks) or a strong desire to partner with dedicated AI engineers to apply these frameworks to your clinical data.
Additional public information:
https://www.wired.com/video/watch/astro-teller-captain-of-moonshots-at-x-speaks-at-wired25
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2019-10-10/alphabet-x-s-astro-teller-on-bloomberg-studio-1-0-video
https://www.npr.org/2025/09/12/nx-s1-5493348/astro-teller-takes-us-inside-the-moonshot-factory-building-tech-ahead-of-its-time
https://time.com/collections/best-inventions-2024/7094574/x-taara/
https://youtu.be/_iLJU4HORAA?si=aK8cHf64NUNcsZXr
https://www.fastcompany.com/best-workplaces-for-innovators/list/84
The US base salary range for this position is $106,000 - $147,000 + benefits. Our salary ranges are determined by role, level, and location. Within the range, individual pay is determined by work location and additional factors, including job-related skills, experience, and relevant education or training. Your recruiter can share more about the specific salary range for your location during the hiring process.
Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only, and do not include benefits.