Computational Biologist

Department BSD MED
- Genetic Medicine
- Im Research Staff

About the Department:
The Section of Genetic Medicine shape the future of personalized medicine with successful research programs focused on the quantitative genetic and genomic science. The Section provides extremely valuable collaborations with investigators in the Department of Medicine who are seeking to develop new and more powerful ways to identify genetic risk factors for common, complex disorders with almost immediate clinical application.

The Section of Genetic Medicine conducts impactful investigations focused on quantitative genetics, systems biology and genomics, bioinformatics and computational biology as well as through extensive collaborations of the faculty throughout the Department of Medicine, Biological Sciences Division and the University of Chicago.

Job Summary:

We are seeking a lifelong learner interested in developing statistical and computational tools to sift through large amounts of data to make discoveries that can improve human health. The Computational Biologist will contribute to the development and application of statistical and computational tools across NIH-funded projects, integrating large-scale GWAS with metabolomics data to uncover mechanisms underlying complex diseases and developing polygenic risk scores that transfer genetic signals across human populations and model organisms to study addiction-related traits, COPD, type 2 diabetes, and other common diseases.

• Analyze large-scale genomic datasets including RNA-seq, whole genome sequence, and single-cell data.
• Develop and apply statistical and computational methods to extract biological insights from high-dimensional data.
• Develop and train deep learning models to improve upon traditional statistical methods in genomics.
• Collaborate with disease and genomics experts to address pressing biomedical research questions.
• Write and contribute to scientific publications and present findings at lab and consortium meetings.
• Help train and mentor students in the lab.
• Apply research principles and relevant subject matter knowledge to administer a research project.
• With a moderate level of direction, manage lab and/or research-related duties and tasks.
• Help develop, design and conduct research projects according to plan.
• Takes responsibility for laboratory duties such as recognizing abnormal results and varying conditions or procedures to correct problems; setting up and performing experiments.
• Analyze the meaning, significance, causes, and effects of the subject.
• Perform other related work as needed.

• Education:
  
  minimum requires a college or university degree in a related field.
• Work Experience:
  
  2 to 5 years of experience in a related job discipline.

• Education:
  
  Master’s or doctoral degree in computational biology, bioinformatics, statistics, physics, or other quantitative disciplines with an interest in applying skills to biomedical research.
• Experience:
  
  deep learning in genomics and large language models; large datasets, distributed computing, and databases; reproducible research tools and workflows (Git Hub, Snakemake, Nextflow); proficiency in R and/or Python.

• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
• Verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Willingness to explore and adopt new ideas and technologies.
• Analytical, statistical, quantitative, and computational/programming skills.

• Resume (required)
• Cover Letter (required)

When applying, the document(s) must be uploaded via the My Experience page, in the section titled Application Documents of the application.

Research Role Impact Individual Contributor

Scheduled Weekly

Hours:

40. Drug Test

Required:

No. Health Screen

Required:

No. Motor Vehicle Record Inquiry

Required:

No. Pay Rate Type:
Salary. FLSA Status:
Exempt. Pay Range: $60,000.00 - $80,000.00

Eligible:
Yes. The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

The University of Chicago is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or expression, national or ethnic origin, shared ancestry, age, status as an individual with a disability, military or veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

Applicants in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call  or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form. All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history. A conviction does not automatically preclude…