Postdoctoral Research Associate – Oncology

Job Description

Position Summary

This opportunity is in the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, located on the Medical School Campus. The Maher laboratory (www.maherlab.com ) at Washington University integrates computational and experimental techniques to study cancer. Our diverse and interdisciplinary team enables us to focus on translating genome-based discoveries into the clinic. We are recruiting a post-doc with a strong track record to focus on developing and/or applying computational methods for analyzing large-scale cancer genomics data collections from gastrointestinal and genitourinary cancer patients. Active projects address topics such as noncoding regulatory mutations, cancer evolution in metastasis and treatment resistance, discovery and characterization of novel long non-coding RNAs, and the development of new bioinformatics tools.

Information on being a postdoc at Washington University in St. Louis can be found at https://postdoc.wustl.edu/prospective-postdocs-2/ .

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• Evaluates and designs experimental plans for sequencing-based projects studying the genetic basis of cancer.
• Implements and develops automated pipelines to analyze high throughput short (Illumina) or long read sequencing (Oxford nanopore, PacBio) data. This can include bulk and/or single cell sequencing data.
• Integrates genetic and epigenetic changes in cancer including mutations, gene expression data, epigenetic modification, copy number and structural variation.
• Integrates pathway and gene network analysis related to cancer.
• Analyzes, interprets, and communicates results to interdisciplinary team.
• Prepares scientific publications.

Required Qualifications

• Ph.D. or equivalent terminal or doctoral degree.
• Demonstrated critical thinking skills.
• Ability to analyze and interpret results to communicate with others and produce scientific publications.

Preferred Qualifications

• Graduate degree in biology, bioinformatics, computational biology, or related field with a solid background in programming and statistics.
• Comfortable working on UNIX/Linux operating system, program with Perl and/or Python, and familiar with statistical analysis packages (SAS, R, or Bioconductor).
• Familiar with bioinformatics tools and genomics databases.
• Previous experience in cancer genomics.
• Self-motivated, eager to acquire new knowledge and skills on a regular basis.

Working Conditions

This position works in a laboratory environment with potential exposure to biological and chemical hazards. The individual must be physically able to wear protective equipment.

Salary Range

Base pay is commensurate with experience.

Accommodation

If you are unable to use our online application system and would like an accommodation, please email [email protected]  or call the dedicated accommodation inquiry number at 314-935-1149 and leave a voicemail with the nature of your request.

Pre-Employment Screening
All external candidates receiving an offer for employment will be required to submit to pre-employment screening for this position. The screenings will include criminal background check and, as applicable for the position, other background checks, drug screen, an employment and education or licensure/certification verification, physical examination, certain vaccinations and/or governmental registry checks. All offers are contingent upon successful completion of required screening.

Benefits Statement
Washington University in St. Louis is committed to providing a comprehensive and competitive benefits package to our employees. Benefits eligibility is subject to employment status, full-time equivalent (FTE) workload, and weekly standard hours. Please visit our website at https://hr.wustl.edu/benefits/ to view a summary of benefits.

EEO/AA Statement
Washington University in St. Louis is committed to the principles and practices of equal employment opportunity and especially encourages applications by those from underrepresented groups. It is the University’s policy to provide equal opportunity and access to persons in all job titles without regard to race, ethnicity, color, national origin, age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, protected veteran status, or genetic information.

Diversity Statement
Washington University is dedicated to building a diverse community of individuals who are committed to contributing to an inclusive environment – fostering respect for all and welcoming individuals from diverse backgrounds, experiences and perspectives. Individuals with a commitment to these values are encouraged to apply.