Posted 1 day ago
Bioinformaticist - Neurology
Job description
Location SAINT LOUIS, MO 63110 Scheduled Hours 40 Position Summary The Orr Lab is seeking support for computational and quantitative research focused on aging, neurodegeneration, and human disease. The successful candidate will work closely with bioinformatics scientists, experimental researchers, and collaborators to analyze, integrate, and interpret complex high-dimensional molecular datasets. This position will support projects spanning multiple omics technologies, including spatial proteomics and transcriptomics, bulk transcriptomics, single-cell and single-nucleus RNA sequencing, proteomics, epigenomics, and whole-exome/genomic sequencing. The candidate will contribute to the full analytical workflow, including data quality assessment, preprocessing and normalization, statistical modeling, dimensionality reduction, network analysis, multi-omic integration, visualization, and biological interpretation. A major focus of the position will be the development and application of statistically rigorous, reproducible, and scalable computational workflows. The ideal candidate will understand not only how to use established bioinformatics tools, but also how to select appropriate analytical approaches based on the experimental design, structure of the data, and biological question. The individual will work in a highly collaborative research environment and will contribute analytical results to manuscripts, abstracts, presentations, grant applications, and ongoing research discussions. Job Description Primary
Duties
&
Responsibilities
Designs, develops, and implements: Algorithms and computer software for omics-based data sets [high-throughput, massively parallel genomic/proteomic/clinical.] Data management and analysis solutions that aid in the storage, investigation, and dissemination of large data sets. Independent research projects, including design of research protocols and development of procedures for the collection, verification, and management of data. Develop clear, informative, and publication-quality data visualizations, including heatmaps, dimensionality-reduction plots, statistical summaries, pathway/network visualizations, and other figures appropriate for scientific communication. Perform data quality control, preprocessing, normalization, filtering, identifying technical artifacts, outliers, batch effects, and other sources of unwanted variation. Perform comprehensive analysis of high-dimensional omics datasets, including: Spatial transcriptomic and spatial proteomic datasets Bulk RNA sequencing Single-cell and single-nucleus RNA sequencing Proteomic datasets Epigenomic datasets Whole-exome and genomic sequencing data Analyze single-cell and single-nucleus sequencing datasets, including: Cell- and sample-level quality control Normalization and feature selection Dimensionality reduction Clustering Cell-type annotation Differential expression Pseudobulk analysis Cell-composition and differential-abundance analysis Pathway, gene set enrichment, and functional/network analysis Integration across samples, batches, conditions, or datasets Evaluates commercial and academic bioinformatics software. Work closely with wet-lab scientists, neuropathologists, statisticians, computational researchers, and external collaborators to translate biological questions into appropriate computational analyses. Trains other researchers on the everyday use of analysis software and research databases. Assists with grant preparation and reporting of methods, data, and results. Solves practical problems relating to difficulties with equipment or test subjects; suggests technical or procedural improvements in testing methods.
Working Conditions
Job Location/
Working Conditions
Normal Office Environment Physical Effort Typically Sitting at a desk or table Equipment Office Equipment The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all job duties performed by the personnel so classified. Management reserves the right to revise or amend duties at any time. Required
Qualifications
Education
Bachelor's degree Certifications/Professional Licenses: No specific certification/professional license is required for this position. Work
Experience
Research (4 Years) Skills: Not Applicable Driver's License: A driver's license is not required for this position. More About This Job
Preferred Qualifications
Proficiency in R.
Experience
analyzing at least one major class of high-throughput molecular data, such as spatial omics, transcriptomic, single-cell, proteomic, epigenomic, or genomic. Familiarity with the Bioconductor ecosystem and commonly used bioinformatics frameworks.
Experience
with packages or analytical frameworks such as limma, DESeq2, edgeR, Seurat, or comparable tools. Familiarity with core Bioconductor data structures and packages such as SummarizedExperiment, SingleCellExperiment, GenomicRanges, and related infrastructure. Understanding of principles underlying normalization, batch effects, technical variability, biological variability, and quality-control assessment in omics datasets.
Experience
with exploratory data analysis and dimensionality-reduction methods such as PCA and clustering. Familiarity with next-generation sequencing and genomic variant analysis, including tools or workflows involving GATK, samtools, bcftools, VCF files, or VariantAnnotation. Familiarity with command-line tools and ability to work in a Linux/Unix environment.
Experience
using Git/GitHub or another version-control system. Ability to write organized, reproducible, and well-documented analysis code. Familiarity with statistical modeling frameworks (mixed-effects models) Ability to independently troubleshoot computational analyses and learn new analytical tools as project needs evolve. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills. Strong written and verbal communication skills and the ability to communicate computational results to researchers with different technical backgrounds. Ability to manage multiple analyses and research priorities in a collaborative environment.
Preferred Qualifications
Education
Master's degree, Ph.D. - Doctor of Philosophy Certifications/Professional Licenses: No additional certification/professional licenses unless stated elsewhere in the job posting. Work
Experience
No additional work experience unless stated elsewhere in the job posting. Skills: Analytical Thinking, Big Data Processing, Bioinformatics Tools, Communication, Complex Data Analysis, Computational Biology, Critical Reasoning, Data Management, Discrete Mathematics, Group Problem Solving, Java (Programming Language), Machine Learning (ML), Perl Programming, Probabilistic Modeling, Python (Programming Language), Statistics Grade R11 Salary Range $55,200.00 - $100,000.00 / Annually The salary range reflects base salaries paid for positions in a given job grade across the University. Individual rates within the range will be determined by factors including one's qualifications and performance, equity with others in the department, market rates for positions within the same grade and department budget. Questions For frequently asked questions about the application process, please refer to our External Applicant FAQ. Accommodation If you are unable to use our online application system and would like an accommodation, please email CandidateQuestions@wustl.edu or call the dedicated accommodation inquiry number at 314-935-1149 and leave a voicemail with the nature of your request. All qualified individuals must be able to perform the essential functions of the position satisfactorily and, if requested, reasonable accommodations will be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job, absent undue hardship. 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 Personal Up to 22 days of vacation, 10 recognized holidays, and sick time. Competitive health insurance packages with priority appointments and lower copays/coinsurance. Take advantage of our free Metro transit U-Pass for eligible employees. WashU provides eligible employees with a defined contribution (403(b)) Retirement Savings Plan, which combines employee contributions and university contributions starting at 7%. Wellness Wellness challenges, annual health screenings, mental health resources, mindfulness programs and courses, employee assistance program (EAP), financial resources, access to dietitians, and more! Family We offer 4 weeks of caregiver leave to bond with your new child. Family care resources are also available for your continued childcare needs. Need adult care? We’ve got you covered. WashU covers the cost of tuition for you and your family, including dependent undergraduate-level college tuition up to 100% at WashU and 40% elsewhere after seven years with us. For policies, detailed benefits, and eligibility, please visit: https://hr.wustl.edu/benefits/ EEO Statement Washington University in St. Louis is committed to the principles and practices of equal employment opportunity. 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, citizenship (where prohibited by federal law), age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, protected veteran status, or genetic information. Q: Can I create a job alert to notify me when jobs of interest are posted? A: Yes! After you create a Candidate Home account, you can set up and manage job alerts to be sent to you either daily or weekly, according to the filters you select. You can add, edit, or delete job alerts at any time. You will need to opt in to communications from WashU when you set up your first alert and will only receive alerts for jobs posted after the alert has been created. Set alerts today so you do not miss any new opportunities! Washington University in St. Louis' collective success is significantly attributed to the passion and outstanding efforts of our community. Our staff, faculty and trainees are committed to excellence and dedicated to carrying out our missions of research, teaching and patient care. WashU prides itself on being a place where people matter, and serious work is done. Our people work together in an inclusive community that celebrates diverse perspectives, collaboration and innovation. We are a community of individuals inspired to work together to develop big ideas and tackle challenging problems. We value the well-being of our people. WashU strives to create a positive employee experience where staff, faculty and trainees thrive, both personally and professionally. Our employees find meaning, connection and vitality in their work and life with a healthy work-life balance and support to learn, grow and make an impact at WashU, the community and the world. Useful Links Who We Are Human Resources
Benefits
Living in St. Louis Frequently Asked Questions Accommodation If you are unable to use our online application system and would like an accommodation, please email CandidateQuestions@wustl.edu or call the dedicated accommodation inquiry number at 314-935-1149 and leave a voicemail with the nature of your request. Regulatory Postings Know Your Rights: Workplace Discrimination is Illegal Poster (English; Spanish)
Skills and functions
- Human Resources
- Machine Learning
- Python