Lead/Principal Bioinformatics Research Scientist

$125,840 - $238,160/Yr

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital - Memphis, TN

Full-time - Senior

Memphis, TN

Hospitals

About the position

The Lead-Bioinformatics Research Scientist takes a lead role in data analysis, data visualization, statistical analysis, experimental design, database development, mathematical modeling, and novel method development. Working independently, this position provides bioinformatics analysis for investigators and communicates the analytical process and results. The Neurobiology and Brain Tumor Program (NBTP) of the Comprehensive Cancer Center at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is seeking a Principal/Lead Bioinformatics Research Scientist. The NBTP is a collaborative, transdisciplinary research program that aims to improve survival and morbidity for children with brain tumors by developing effective, relatively non-toxic therapies through a better understanding of disease pathogenesis. Through the application of cutting-edge molecular approaches to unprecedented patient cohorts and innovative model systems, members of this program are efficiently translating laboratory findings into opportunities for new treatments. Genome-wide studies of diverse pediatric brain tumor entities have identified novel mutations, defined molecular subgroups, and opened new avenues of basic, translational, and clinical investigation. The Principal/Lead Bioinformatics Research Scientist functions independently to coordinate large-scale bioinformatics projects, providing project oversight, scientific and technical advice, programming support, and other input as required to achieve established objectives. This role coordinates the specialized expertise of bioinformatics colleagues to achieve scientific objectives. The successful candidate will assemble and manage a team of Ph.D.- and MS-level bioinformaticians and data scientists to analyze and interpret new and existing multi-omic datasets obtained from children and models with malignant brain cancer, including bulk tumor/normal, single-cell/nucleus, and spatial 'omic profiles. The director will present research findings at project meetings, scientific conferences, and outreach/training events. There will be opportunities to initiate new projects and collaborate with other groups at St. Jude and externally, including clinicians, basic scientists, and data scientists. A deep understanding of cancer genomics, human genetics, transcriptomics, or epigenetics, strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, critical thinking, and expertise in second and/or third generation sequencing analysis are essential for this position. The successful recruit must have the capacity to execute proficient computational analyses and troubleshooting independently, communicate effectively with NBTP faculty and collaborators, and thrive in a highly collaborative team environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead data analysis, visualization, and statistical analysis for bioinformatics projects.
• Coordinate large-scale bioinformatics projects and provide project oversight.
• Assemble and manage a team of bioinformaticians and data scientists.
• Analyze and interpret multi-omic datasets from pediatric brain cancer.
• Present research findings at project meetings and scientific conferences.
• Establish best practice recommendations and create educational materials.
• Participate in educational initiatives at the laboratory, departmental, and institutional level.
• Collaborate with clinicians, basic scientists, and data scientists on new projects.

Requirements

• PhD and extensive post-PhD experience in bioinformatics, computational biology, and data science.
• Strong CV with high-profile publications in computational biology, cancer genomics, and/or single-cell genomics.
• Extensive expertise in analyzing and visualizing human genomics datasets from high-throughput sequencing technologies.
• Experience performing statistical analyses of large genomic datasets and validating genomic pipelines.
• Expert-level proficiency in programming languages such as R and Python, preferably in a High-Performance Computing (HPC) environment.
• Proficiency in workflow management systems and version control tools.
• Experience with database management systems such as MySQL.
• Extensive expertise in data integration and harmonization.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Experience in project management and leadership.

Nice-to-haves

• Experience with second and/or third generation sequencing analysis.
• Proficiency in tool development with examples in public repositories.
• Experience in training basic bioinformatics and statistical skillsets.

Benefits

• Competitive salary range of $125,840 - $238,160 per year.
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives and programs.
• Opportunities for professional development and training.