Computational Postdoctoral Fellow (EBI01680)

We are looking for a postdoctoral fellow to join the Open Targets program under the leadership of Dr Ana Cvejic (Wellcome Sanger Institute), Moritz Gerstung (EBI) and Omer Bayraktar (WSI).

Open Targets aims to provide evidence on the biological validity of therapeutic targets and provide an initial assessment of the likely effectiveness of pharmacological intervention on these targets, using genome-scale experiments and analysis. This pioneering public-private partnership between Sanofi, Celgene, EMBL-EBI, GlaxoSmithKline, and the Wellcome Sanger Institute, aims to provide a R&D framework that applies to all aspects of human disease, and to share its data openly with the scientific community.

Your role
In this project you will analyse newly single cell (scRNA-Seq and scATAC-Seq) as well as novel and spatial transcriptomics data sets (In Situ Sequencing and 10x visium) generated in the Cvejic and Bayraktar labs to understand the molecular properties of immune cells infiltrating tumour sites. The underlying data sets comprise thousands of unique molecular signals measured for tens of thousands of cells or physical locations in each tumour.

You will employ methods from high dimensional and spatial statistics developed in the Gerstung group to chart and understand the nature of different tumour-associated immune cells, how they interact and change biological functions and how the underlying molecular changes could be exploited as therapeutic targets.

You will be part of a multidisciplinary team and will be tasked with proactively seeking and maintaining appropriate collaborations.

You will also be expected to drive forward the project, working closely with biologists, clinicians and bioinformaticians within and outside the group to accomplish scientific objectives.

You have
-The post-holder will be passionate about science, hardworking, and excited to learn and improve skills in an outstanding research environment. In addition, the successful post-holder will have:
-A PhD in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Biostatistics or in a related quantitative field (e.g. Mathematics, Physics, Statistics), and a passion for problem solving
-Extensive experience in a research environment with a well-established publication track record
-Formal and extensive training in mathematical and statistical analysis of complex data sets
-An understanding, experience and published outcomes from analysing and interpreting large datasets using statistical programming languages (e.g. R or Python)
-The ability to effectively communicate with collaborators and occasionally present oral communication to large groups
-Proven independent working style, technical problem solving, data analysis and generation of novel ideas

You might also have
-Experience with single cell data analysis
-Training in statistical methods appropriate for biological research
-Experience in genomics approaches and in method development

Why join us
EMBL-EBI is a worldwide leader in bioinformatics. As part of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), we are a non-profit, intergovernmental organisation funded by over 27 member states and two associate member states. We encourage personal and professional development and are committed to ensuring our employees feel valued, supported and empowered to reach their potential at work.