ASPIRE Internship: Decode Health, Data Science Intern (Computational Biology/Data Science), remote
ASPIRE Internship Opportunity:
Data Science Intern (Computational Biology/Data Science)
Decode Health, Inc.
(remote) Nashville, TN
November 2022- February 2023
Reports to:
- Lukasz Wylezinski, PhD, Director of Data Analytics – Research & Development (main contact)
- Jamieson Gray, Chief of Staff
Decode Health
Decode Health is a healthcare AI company that powers an ecosystem of industry-leading diagnostic and pharmaceutical companies to unlock discoveries with data. Current projects include genomic data creation, RNA diagnostics, and population health analytics. Over the course of a decade, the team leading Decode has built a framework leveraging a variety of advanced machine learning approaches. The company’s flexible, scalable approach layers clinical data with SDoH and non-clinical data to fuel innovation and advance precision medicine. Decode’s data assets, products, and services improve patient outcomes, lower costs, and promote health equity.
Position Description:
At Decode Health we are seeking a creative, highly motivated Data Science Intern (Computational Biology/Data Science) to join our existing team building machine learning models to predict chronic and infectious disease outcomes. A variety of data sources will be leveraged including genomic data from peripheral whole blood, social determinants of health information, and population-level datasets ranging from insurance claims to real-time patient surveys.
Specific Objectives/Tasks:
- Contribute to ongoing development of analysis pipelines leveraging Decode existing framework to perform descriptive and predictive studies using genomic and population health data. The ideal candidate will be able to lead or contribute to the following objectives within both companies:
- Visualization Discovery: Pre-modeling (raw) and post-model results data visualization, storytelling, and report development for multiple data use cases and patient populations. Current disease focus areas are chronic disease and viral respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19. Gene expression datasets represent a variety of chronic, inflammatory diseases.
- Recurring activities: Collaboration to enhance standard visualization processes and refreshed client reporting
- Process refinement: Providing input to further refine Decode multi-tool analysis pipeline
- New data research: Identifying novel enrichment datasets, validation of source information and implementation of these data sources into the automated framework
- Applicants will be able to use the AutoML framework that already exists at Decode to construct predictive models. Use of R/Python or similar software packages to enhance ongoing analysis efforts in autoimmune datasets and chronic disease population datasets are welcomed. Examples could include development of feature selection algorithms or novel methods to enhance prediction explanation results beyond what is currently possible with the existing computational pipelines.
- Communicate findings to R&D team and leadership to ensure successful implementation of projects alongside Decode customer relationships and ongoing business development efforts.
- Participate in weekly data team interactions.
Desired Skills and Experience:
- Applicants must be a current Vanderbilt University PhD student or postdoctoral fellow.
- Candidates with >2 years’ computer programming experience are preferred. Research projects leveraging this expertise should be highlighted on the submitted resume.
- Familiarity with machine learning methods (SVMs, boosting methods, etc). Applicants should highlight relevant knowledge of these platforms on their resume.
- Applicants must have a strong grasp of the English language in spoken and written form.
- Applicants must submit and pass a background check and sign Non-Disclosure and Non-Compete Agreements with Decode Health.
Work Environment:
This will be a virtual position. Decode Health’s offices are located behind Union Station in downtown Nashville. The company also maintains co-working space in Nashville for necessary ad hoc group meetings.
Decode Health offer a unique and dynamic work environment that is fast-paced yet affords significant flexibility. For that reason, employees at both companies need to be highly self-motivated and proactive at identifying and taking responsibility for tasks. Extension of an internship offer implicitly implies that we consider an individual to be capable of thriving in such a versatile and unique work environment.
Internship Details
- Internship start date is flexible. Candidates will be evaluated on a rolling basis. Estimated start date will be late October/ early November 2022 continuing through February 2023 (approx. 16 weeks, with the option to extend pending review).
- Internship is paid, part-time (8-10 hours per week).
Applications due by noon, Thursday October 20, 2022 but will be passed along to the host on a rolling basis as received.
To apply:
- Fill out the following ASPIRE Internship Application found here: (https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Decode_Fa2022)
- Submit your CV/resume and cover letter to Ashley Brady (ashley.brady@vanderbilt.edu). (Please submit documents as pdfs with your last name_Decode_Fa2022 in the file name and with subject line: ASPIRE Internship: Decode Health)
- Schedule a meeting with Ashley Brady via https://calendly.com/ashley-brady prior to the application deadline. Your information will then be passed along to the host who will contact you directly to schedule an interviewPlease review ASPIRE Internship FAQs: Found here
For further questions, please contact Ashley Brady (ashley.brady@vanderbilt.edu).Eligibility requirements- Applicants must be a current Vanderbilt University PhD student or a current postdoctoral fellow.
- All PhD students must have completed all coursework for their degree prior to the start of the internship.
- Biomedical PhD students must also have passed their qualifying exams before the application deadline.
- Students and postdocs may not participate in more than one internship at a time. More than one application may be submitted at a single time, but only one position can be accepted.
- If you are not in a department supported by the BRET office, we will also require that you complete a form guaranteeing PI approval to participate in this program. Please contact Ashley Brady at ashley.brady@vanderbilt.edu for more information.
- If you are an international student or postdoctoral fellow, your visa status may affect your work eligibility. Please contact Ashley Brady (ashley.brady@vanderbilt.edu) to discuss this further.
- Must be authorized to work in the US