This exciting trainee position will contribute to the development of a new resource to catalog published polygenic scores (PGS). PGSs, also known as polygenic or genetic risk scores (PRS/GRS), have potential in predicting disease risk and enabling improved targeting of disease intervention strategies, thus improving human health. The PGS Catalog (www.pgscatalog.org) will store and distribute information and resources supporting both research and clinical uses of PGS (e.g. variant information, sample/cohort information, score development details).

Your role
A trainee position is available to join the Polygenic Score Catalog (PGS Catalog) team at the European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI). This trainee position will offer the opportunity to learn about and gain practical experience in the extraction of detailed scientific information from published scientific papers into the PGS Catalog.The trainee will also learn about the process of developing a foundational resource to make available data to the scientific community. The trainee will work closely with members of the GWAS Catalog team, benefiting from their knowledge and experience in this area.

The intern will work within a team of Scientific Curators at the EMBL-EBI and with other members of the PGSCatalog team based at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute and University of Cambridge, supported by Health Data Research UK (HDR-UK).

Objectives:

- Contributing to the extractionand curation of information from published scientific papers for inclusion in the PGS Catalog
- Working with EMBL-EBI software developers and other PGS Catalog team members to improve data extraction,management and access
- Communicating with authors of PGSstudies
- Collaborating with an International team of scientists

There is a small living allowance available, up to £1000 a month for full-time trainees. You will be mentored by a group of PhD scientists and given opportunities to expand your skill set and enrich your CV and contribute to our eventual PGS Catalog publication.

You have
Applicants should have a degree in genetics, biological sciences, (bio)statistics, epidemiology or a related discipline. They should have an in-depth understanding and interest in genetic variation and genomics, with the ability to apply this knowledge in the understanding of scientific research articles. The post holder must show strong self motivation to work both independently and as part of a closely interacting team of international scientists. Skill in delivering a high quality product with attention to detail and within fixed deadlines is essential.

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are a prerequisite.

You might also have
Experience or knowledge of polygenic scores, genetic epidemiology, data curation and of using similar reference resources (e.g. GWAS Catalog; www.ebi.ac.uk/gwas) would be advantageous.

Why join us
At EMBL-EBI, we help scientists realise the potential of ‘big data’ in biology by enabling them to exploit complex information to make discoveries that benefit mankind.

Working for EMBL-EBI gives you an opportunity to apply your skills and energy for the greater good.

As part of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), we are a non-profit, intergovernmental organisation funded by 27 member states and two associate member states.

We are located on the Wellcome Genome Campus near Cambridge in the UK, and our 850 staff are engineers, technicians, scientists and other professionals from all over the world. We have an informal culture, international working environment and excellent professional development opportunities but one of the really amazing things about us is the concentration of technical and scientific expertise – something you probably won’t find anywhere else. If you’ve ever visited the campus you’ll have experienced first-hand our friendly, collegial and supportive atmosphere, set in the beautiful Cambridgeshire countryside. Our staff also enjoy excellent sports facilities including a gym, a free shuttle bus, an on-site nursery, cafés and restaurant and a library.