Staff Scientist - Translational Genomics and Computational Biology; Research Professional - Informatics

About the Job

Title:

Research Professional 5 - Informatics
Job Code & Class: 9791IF - Professional and Academic (P&A)
Department:
Translational Center for Resuscitative Trauma Care
Budgeted Salary Range: $80,000-$95,000

Position Overview:

This Researcher 5 position (working title: Staff Scientist - Translational Genomics and Computational Biology) will work with Dr. Geetha Saarunya, who leads the Translational Validity Observatory (TVO), housed within the Translational Center for Resuscitative Trauma Care (TCRTC) in the University of Minnesota Medical School's Department of Surgery. Dr. Saarunya's research program develops computational and translational approaches for understanding dynamic clinical states, biological heterogeneity, and the validity of clinical constructs across datasets and institutions.

The research integrates longitudinal clinical data, genomics, multi-omics, and reproducible computational methods to improve the rigor, interpretability, and transportability of biomedical evidence.

The position will contribute to TVO while also supporting a broader genomics, multi-omics, and translational research portfolio. TVO is a funded translational science initiative that evaluates whether clinical definitions, measurements, and analytical findings remain interpretable and portable when observation processes, data sources, or patient populations change. The successful candidate will independently develop and conduct analyses, build reproducible workflows, contribute to manuscripts and grant-related scientific materials, and collaborate with clinical, computational, and biological investigators, analysts, and trainees.

This is a 100% full-time, grant-funded, annually renewable position with an appointment ending August 30, 2028. The position is primarily computer- and meeting-based and involves extended computer use and participation in virtual and in-person meetings. It is based on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus. Per UMN policy, work may be done remotely when appropriate and approved by the manager.

All UMN employees are expected to follow applicable public health and safety procedures.

Conduct Scientific Analyses and Develop Studies (35%)

• Co-develop research questions, study designs, and analysis plans with the principal investigator and collaborators.
• Conduct rigorous analyses of longitudinal clinical, genomic, multi-omic, and other high-dimensional biomedical data.
• Interpret findings in biological and translational context and identify limitations, validation needs, and next-stage studies.
• Evaluate analytic assumptions and support transparent decisions about measurement, cohort construction, and interpretation.

Build Reproducible Workflows and Research Infrastructure (25%)

• Build, validate, document, and maintain reproducible computational pipelines.
• Support code review, data provenance, quality control, version control, and transparent analytical handoffs.
• Develop reusable scripts, workflow components, and technical documentation for collaborative research projects.
• Coordinate analytical inputs and outputs across secure computing, cloud, or high-performance computing environments as appropriate.

Develop Genomic and Multi-Omic Methods (20%)

• Develop and apply approaches for genomic, structural-variant, transcriptomic, and other high-dimensional biological data.
• Integrate genomic and molecular evidence with clinical and longitudinal data when scientifically appropriate.
• Evaluate emerging methods and adapt analytical strategies to the scientific question, data structure, and available evidence.
• Document methods, quality-control decisions, and interpretation boundaries for reproducible use by collaborators.

Lead Scientific Communication and…