Postdoctoral Fellow in Computational Biology

Postdoctoral Fellow in Computational Biology

Computational biology postdoc positions are available in the laboratory of Wei Li (https://weililab.org), Center for Genetic Medicine Research, Children’s National Medical Center, and Department of Genomics and Precision Medicine, The George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences at Washington, DC.

We are devoted to developing cutting-edge computational methods for biology and medicine, with a focus on understanding how coding and non-coding elements function in cancer and childhood diseases. In the past we have developed innovative bioinformatics algorithms to 1) design, analyze and visualize genome-wide CRISPR/Cas9 knockout screening data (MAGeCK/MAGeCK-VISPR); 2) identify genes responsible for cancer drug resistance and synthetic lethal targets, and 3) understand how non-coding elements, especially long non-coding RNAs and enhancers, play roles in cancer.

We will conduct research focusing on the following areas:

1. Develop algorithms to analyze large-scale screening and sequencing data;
2. Use the latest machine learning algorithms to study cancer genomics data and identify predictive biomarkers or drug targets;
3. Collaborate with experimental and clinical labs to study a variety of biological and biomedical problems, including (1) pediatric diseases especially glioma and Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1); (2) the functions of coding and non-coding elements using genetic screening and single-cell sequencing approaches; and (3) other exciting collaboration projects.

Candidates will join the outstanding research community at Children’s National Medical Center and George Washington University, and have the opportunity to interact with scientists at nearby institutions including National Institute of Health (NIH), John Hopkins University, University of Maryland, etc.

Children’s National Health System, based in Washington, D.C., has been serving the nation’s children since 1870. Children’s National is #5 overall, #1 for babies and ranked in every specialty evaluated by U.S. News & World Report. It has been designated two times as a Magnet® hospital, a designation given to hospitals that demonstrate the highest standards of nursing and patient care delivery. This pediatric academic health system offers expert care through a convenient, community-based primary care network and specialty outpatient centers in the D.C. Metropolitan area including the Maryland suburbs and Northern Virginia. Home to the Children's Research Institute and the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation, Children’s National is one of the nation’s top NIH-funded pediatric institutions. Children’s National is recognized for its expertise and innovation in pediatric care and as a strong voice for children through advocacy at the local, regional and national levels.

As the capital of United States, Washington DC is the hub of American politics and history. Washington DC metropolitan area (including Virginia and Maryland) is the home of people from diverse backgrounds, and is considered one of the best places to live and work in US.

By joining a newly established lab, the candidate will have unique opportunities to set up a research laboratory and interact with the PI/collaborators. The candidate will also gain experiences and guidances in a variety of aspects including grant writing, presentation, career transition, networking, etc.

Requirements

Ideal applicants are expected to have:

1. PhD degree in Bioinformatics/Genetics/Computer Science/Statistics or other quantitative science;
2. Solid programming skills, strong publication record and the ability to work independently;
3. Experienced in cancer genomics data analysis and computational methodology development;
4. Ability to communicate and collaborate with other team members;
5. Additional expertise in cancer biology, machine learning, single-cell genomics and childhood diseases would be a plus.

Interested candidates should submit a CV, a cover letter of research background and future research goals, and the contact information of three references letters by email to the principal investigator, Wei Li. More information can be found from our website (https://weililab.org).