Huck Institutes Life Sciences NSF NCEMS Postdoctoral Scholar - Bioinformatics

Position Title

Postdoctoral Scholar (Bioinformatics)

The National Synthesis Center for Emergence in the Molecular and Cellular Sciences (NCEMS) at The Pennsylvania State University seeks an outstanding scientist to fill a Postdoctoral Scholar position in Bioinformatics housed within the Huck Institutes of Life Sciences at Penn State University. NCEMS is an NSF‑funded interdisciplinary research center positioned at the interface of data science, molecular and cellular biology, and quantitative physical sciences.

The Center provides leadership in the integration of diverse, publicly available datasets to gain insights into emergent phenomena in molecular and cellular biology.

The successful candidate, in collaboration with faculty and research staff at NCEMS, will conduct original bioinformatics research involving large‑scale public datasets including genomic, transcriptomic, proteomic, metabolomic, interactomic, structural, or single‑cell multi‑omics data. This full‑time, on‑site position at the Penn State University Park campus does not permit remote work. It is a term appointment funded for one year from the date of hire with a strong potential for renewal.

• Conduct original bioinformatics research using large‑scale public datasets.
• Develop, implement, or apply computational methods to large‑scale biological datasets.
• Collaborate with faculty and research staff at NCEMS.
• Present research findings and contribute to scholarly publications.

• PhD in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Systems Biology, Genomics, Data Science, Molecular Biology, or a closely related field.
• Strong foundation in bioinformatics, biological data analysis, data integration, or systems‑level analysis of molecular and cellular biology data.
• Experience developing, implementing, or applying computational methods to large‑scale biological datasets.
• Proficiency in Python and/or R.
• Experience with biological data processing pipelines, workflow development, reproducible research practices, high‑performance computing, version control, or public data curation.
• Demonstrated ability to conduct research and produce scholarly outputs with a strong record of peer‑reviewed publications.
• Familiarity with biological databases and public data repositories such as NCBI, GEO, SRA, ENA, Uni Prot, PDB, Alpha Fold DB, or related resources.
• Independent self‑starter with strong work ethic, interpersonal and written communication skills, and ability to work well in a collaborative team environment.

Applications must be submitted electronically in a single PDF and should include:

• A cover letter
• Curriculum vitae (CV)

Employment with the University will require successful completion of background check(s) in accordance with University policies.

Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full‑time employees designed to support both personal and professional well‑being. For more detailed information, please visit the Penn State Benefits Page. (For Postdoctoral benefits, please see the Postdoctoral Benefits page.)

Penn State is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. If you are unable to use our online application process due to an impairment or disability, please contact 814‑865‑1473. Penn State is committed to and accountable for advancing equity, respect, and belonging.

We embrace individual uniqueness, as well as a culture of belonging that supports equity initiatives, leverages the educational and institutional benefits of inclusion in society, and provides opportunities for engagement intended to help all members of the community thrive.