GENERAL SUMMARY OF POSITION:

Under the direction of a member of the faculty, the Bioinformatician is responsible for the design, development, evaluation and iterative modification of a technical infrastructure to expedite the quantitative evaluation of data resulting from studies that are laboratory based.  The position will entail the establishment and maintenance of applicable in-house bioinformatics resources and interaction with individual lab members on customized research projects, as well independent projects that are solely computational. 

The Maehr lab is seeking a highly motivated individual to work with a team of researchers to broaden their understanding of the underlying cause of autoimmune diabetes, and how novel stem cell therapy approaches can be optimized for innovative treatment strategies and immune modulations.  

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Establish general bioinformatics resources for day-to-day use by members of the laboratory.
• In collaboration with a member of the faculty, generate customized programming solutions to improve user interaction with available bioinformatics resources
• Implement and adapt programs for microarray analysis, high-throughput sequencing data analysis, cis regulatory motif identification, and multi-genome protein motif searches.
• Independently develop, implement and maintain custom designed computational solutions relevant for ongoing lab-based projects.
• Independently develop, implement and maintain computational methods for meta-analysis of data generated in the lab as well as publicly available data.
• Independently execute a scientific computational project (e.g. a project that can result in a first author publication)
• Local establishment and customization of model organism genomic databases and tools for batch sequence analysis utilizing these resources.
• Interpret and present study results in support of laboratory members.
• Provide tabular and written summaries of approaches and analyses in a form suitable for inclusion in manuscripts or grant applications, as well as media for presentation at scientific meetings
• Develop and implement custom bioinformatics programming solutions in collaboration with lab as necessary
• Coordinate and collaborate with other research computing expertise at the Medical School as necessary
• Participate in conference calls and data management meetings as needed
• Perform other duties as required

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• BS in computer science, or equivalent experience
• 1-3 years of related experience
• Co-authorships on peer-reviewed publications are strongly suggested but not required
• Strong background in statistical methodology, software languages and computer systems (Perl, C++, R, MySQL, etc.)
• Experience in writing basic search algorithms and the ability to generate new algorithms and programs for custom data manipulation and analysis
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written, and interpersonal skills necessary to interact with a wide range of individuals.

Required:

• Experience working with RNA-Seq data analysis
• Knowledge and understanding of statistical analysis methods
• Familiarity with Linux/Unix operating systems
• Experience programming in R and a scripting language such as Python
• Ability to communicate clearly with researchers with a wide variety of backgrounds and experience, from bench scientists to department heads
• Ability to work independently and as a member of a team
• Good time management and organizational skills to facilitate simultaneous support of multiple projects.

Preferred:

• Experience with single-cell RNA-Seq data analysis using software packages such as Scanpy and/or Seurat
• Good understanding of genomics and molecular and cell biology
• Experience or strong interest in diabetes or immune syndrome research
• Basic understanding of immunology
• Familiarity with database design for organizing and keeping track of numerous samples.