Job Opportunity: Department of Neurology, NeuroGenomics and Informatics Center, Washington University in St. Louis, MO
Description
The Washington University School of Medicine, Department of Neurology, has an opening for a postdoctoral research associate to join the Belloy lab in the NeuroGenomics and Informatics Center (NGI). The successful candidate will be involved in projects to perform big-data research, bundling genetics, multi-omics, biomarker, clinical, and histopathological data, to harness the full range of biologically relevant data to better understand Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
There is particular emphasis on three research areas:
1) Investigating sex dimorphism in Alzheimer’s disease genetics
2) Understanding the influence of ancestry and health disparities on Alzheimer’s disease genetics
3) Merging brain imaging with genetic and multi-omics data to examine disease heterogeneity and resilience. This research will contribute to the discovery of novel risk genes, steer basic research and drug development, and advance personalized medicine.
Required Qualifications
1. Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences, Bioinformatics, Human/Statistical Genetics, Neuroimaging, Neurosciences, or a related field (with an emphasis on data science or statistical analyses of human subjects datasets).
2. Knowledgeable within one or more of the following subjects: Genetics, Functional Genomics, Neuroimaging, Bioinformatics, and Big Data (knowledge on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias is not crucial).
3. Ability to clearly communicate research findings through oral presentation and written publication.
4. Ability to work independently and in a collaborative manner with a diverse group of scientists and clinicians.
Preferred Qualifications
1. Experience with population genetics, genomics, and (whole genome) sequencing data, as well as related analytical approaches (Plink, GWAS, gene-burden, QTL colocalization, mendelian randomization, etc.).
2. Experience with analysis of multi-omics data and cross-modal integration with genetics and imaging data.
3. Experience with data/ statistical analyses in one or more of the following programming environments: R, Python, bash, MATLAB, JAVA, etc.
4. Experience using computing clusters (batch processing), cloud computing services, and containerization.
Candidate Support, Training, and Expectations
The successful candidate will develop expertise in the genetics of Alzheimer’s disease and related
dementias. They will learn state-of-the-art strategies to integrate a breadth of ‘omics (proteomics, single cell, etc.) and biomarker data (derived from plasma, cerebrospinal fluid, and neuroimaging) with genetic and clinical features of Alzheimer’s disease. The candidate will benefit from integration with the world-renowned Knight-ADRC (expertise on genetics, neuroscience, brain imaging), the NGI (exceptional expertise on genetics and multi-omics data generation & processing), and the highly collaborative atmosphere at Washington University.
The candidate is expected to lead research projects, publish in leading scientific journals and conferences.
The candidate will participate in set-up of project proposals and participate in funding activities. The candidate will be strongly encouraged and supported to develop career skills, including writing, public speaking, networking, and applying for independent fellowships and grants. Training will be provided in disciplines with which the candidate is less familiar.
Information on being a postdoc at Washington University in St. Louis can be found at https://postdoc.wustl.edu/prospective-postdocs
Working Conditions
The successful candidate will work in a dry lab environment, with access to high-end computing resources (and budget for cloud computing), high-end personal computer equipment, and a private cubicle near the mentor.
Salary Range
Base pay is $60,000/year and commensurate with experience.
Applicant Special Instructions
Interested candidates are encouraged to email a CV, a cover letter describing research interests and previous experience, and 3 references to Dr. Michael Belloy (belloy@wustl.edu)