Computational Biologist

The Department of Data Science at the Dana‑Farber Cancer Institute is conducting a search for Computational Biologist(s). This person(s) will collaborate with medical and basic science researchers and fellow computational biologists in study design, development of bioinformatic pipelines and analysis modules for the analysis and publication of high‑throughput omic data from cancer studies including Phase I/II or III clinical trials and basic cancer research.

The Department of Data Science at Dana‑Farber Cancer Institute is aimed at driving cancer research through innovation and collaboration in the quantitative sciences. The department is unified by a commitment to improving cancer care through data‑driven approaches. We strive to understand the biology of cancer, test the efficacy of treatments and extract knowledge from complex datasets.

The ideal candidate will have:

• Formal training and experience in analysis of high‑throughput data using statistical or machine learning methods, and strong programming skills.
• Demonstrated experience in the analysis in at least one of the following domains: single cell genomics, WGS, WES, ChIP‑seq, ATAC‑seq, RNA‑seq, spatial transcriptomics/proteomics, machine learning/deep learning models applied on genomics data.
• Ability to follow best practices for developing and maintaining reproducible bioinformatics pipelines and analysis including but not limited to extensive documentation, source code versioning/management using git, using reproducible computing environment such as Docker, etc.

Located in Boston and the surrounding communities, Dana‑Farber Cancer Institute is a leader in life‑changing breakthroughs in cancer research and patient care. We are united in our mission of conquering cancer, HIV/AIDS, and related diseases. We strive to create an inclusive, diverse, and equitable environment where we provide compassionate and comprehensive care to patients of all backgrounds, and design programs to promote public health particularly among high‑risk and underserved populations.

We conduct groundbreaking research that advances treatment, we educate tomorrow's physicians/researchers, and we work with amazing partners, including other Harvard Medical School‑affiliated hospitals.

• Data Processing:
  Uses existing tools to build data processing pipelines to convert raw data into formats compatible with conventional statistical analysis and visualization.
• Data Analysis:
  Performs routine analysis for which established tools exist and are considered reliable. Keep up with the computational biology literature to assure pipelines components are up to date.
• Data and Software Management:
  Monitors, downloads, organizes, and manages data from public data repositories or generated by collaborators. Evaluate published tools and update pipeline as necessary.
• Manuscript Preparation:
  Drafts the computational biology sections of a manuscript; assists in writing the results section; checks manuscripts for numerical accuracy; prepares tables and figures.
• Grant Preparation:
  Helps to formulate specific aims, explains options for experimental design, and develops data analysis plans.
• Research Portfolio Management:
  Develops timelines and components for multiple routine projects; masters multi‑tasking so that complex projects involving many interdisciplinary individuals move forward smoothly.
• Team interactions:
  Offers peer‑to‑peer training for new statisticians in design, analysis, and presentation of results. It is expected that insight into career growth will be offered to more junior statisticians.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

REQUIRED:

• Computational
  
  Skills:
  
  Knowledge of UNIX/Linux. Familiarity with scripting in Python and statistical programming using R.
• Data analysis
  
  Skills:
  
  Familiarity with principles of experimental design and the modern data analysis paradigms is required.
• Collaboration:
  
  Able to discuss and present results, share ideas accurately and communicate them effectively, both in writing and verbally.
• Strong interpersonal skills – ability to effectively interact with all levels of staff and external contacts.
• Excellent analytical, organizational and time‑management skills.

MINIMUM

JOB…