Lead-Bioinformatics Research Scientist

The Northcott Lab (https://www.stjude.org/research/labs/northcott-lab.html) in the Center of Excellence in Neuro-Oncology Sciences (CENOS; https://www.stjude.org/research/centers-of-excellence/cenos.html) at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is seeking a highly motivated Lead Bioinformatics Research Scientist. The Northcott Lab is internationally renowned for its expertise in the genomic analysis of pediatric brain tumors, with a track record supported by transformative publications in top-tier journals such asNature, Cancer Cell,Lancet Oncology,Journal of Clinical Oncology, and more.The successful candidate will lead discovery-driven computational studies of unprecedented multi-omic datasets obtained from children with malignant brain cancer, including bulk tumor/normal, single-cell/nucleus, and spatial 'omic profiles. The candidate will work closely with other bioinformatics personnel in the Northcott Lab and CENOS to play an integral role in exciting collaborations, both within St. Jude and with prominent external collaborators. A deep understanding of cancer genomics, human genetics, transcriptomics, or epigenetics, strong problem-solving skills, attention to detail, critical thinking, and expertise in NGS data analysis are essential for this position. Prior experience with machine learning applications, classification problems, and application of AI to large molecular datasets are considered an asset. The successful recruit must have the capacity to execute proficient computational analyses and troubleshooting independently, communicate effectively with the PI and collaborators, and thrive in a highly collaborative team environment.

The 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. Establishes best practice recommendations, creates educational materials, and participates in educational initiatives at the laboratory, departmental, and/or institutional level.

The successful candidate will join a team of Ph.D.-level bioinformaticians and data scientists to analyze and interpret unparalleled multi-omic datasets derived from children and models with malignant brain cancer, including bulk tumor/normal, single-cell/nucleus, and spatial 'omic profiles. The Lead Bioinformatics Research Scientist 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.

The ideal candidate should have:

• A PhD and extensive post-PhD experience in bioinformatics, computational biology, and data science.
• A strong CV that includes high-profile publications in the field of computational biology, cancer genomics, and/or single-cell genomics.
• Extensive expertise in analyzing, interpreting, and visualizing human genomics datasets generated by high-throughput sequencing technologies including short- (Illumina) and long-read- (e.g. PacBio and Oxford Nanopore) whole genome sequencing.
• Extensive experience performing statistical analyses of large genomic datasets and validation of genomic pipelines.
• Expert-level proficiency in relevant programming languages such as R and Python, preferably in a High-Performance Computing (HPC) environment.
• Proficiency in tools for ensuring reproducibility of pipelines, such as workflow management systems (e.g., nextflow or snakemake), and version control (e.g., git).
• Proficiency in tool development, including examples documented in public repositories.
• Experience with database management systems such as MySQL.
• Extensive expertise in data integration and harmonization.
• Proven problem-solving skills and collaborative nature in fast-paced environment.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Experience in project management and leadership, including training of basic bioinformatics and statistical skillsets.

Minimum Education and/or Training:

• Bachelor's degree in bioinformatics, cheminformatics, statistics/computer science (with a background in biological sciences or chemistry) or related field.
• Master's degree or PhD preferred.

Minimum Experience:

• Minimum Requirement: Bachelor's degree with 10+ years of relevant post-degree work in bioinformatics, cheminformatics, statistics/computer science (with a background in biological sciences or chemistry).
• Experience Exception: Master's degree with 8+ years of relevant post-degree experience (OR) PhD with 5+ years of relevant post-degree experience.
• Substantial experience in at least one programming or scripting language and at least one statistical package, with R preferred.

Compensation

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St. Jude Children's Research Hospital has a diverse, global patient population and workforce, built on the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion. Our founder Danny Thomas envisioned a hospital that would treat children of the world-regardless of race, religion or a family's ability to pay. Learn more about our history and commitment.

Today, we continue the mission to advance cures and means of prevention for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. As we accelerate this progress globally, we believe our legacy of diversity, equity and inclusion is foundational to success. With the commitment of leaders at all levels of the organization, we strive to ensure the St. Jude culture, leadership approaches and talent processes are equitable and culturally responsive. View our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Report to learn about the hospital's roots in diversity, equity and inclusion, where we are today and our aspirations for an even better future.

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