Postdoctoral Research Associate in Microbiome Research

Postdoctoral Research Associate in Microbiome Research

Job Description:
The successful candidate will work with Dr. Leigh Greathouse on biostatistical research on a recently funded DoD project examining the interaction between diet and the human gut microbiome in colon cancer. This project is designed to identify gut microbiota, microbial metabolites, immune markers, and dietary factors that affect treatment response (e.g. chemotherapy-induced diarrhea), recurrence, and survival. As such, analysis will include microbial community multi-omics (metagenomes, metabolomes, etc.) to identify species, strains, microbial gene products, and metabolites with immunomodulatory functions. He or she will be responsible for bioinformatic and biostatistical methods development for microbiome quantitative, metagenomic, and multi-omic data on the project, with a focus on bacterial small RNAs in human gut microbiome that can modulate inflammation.

Anticipated start date: June 2021

Job Responsibilities:

• Development of biostatistical methods for microbiome data analysis, particularly models for population epidemiology of longitudinal, zero-inflated, and compositional measurements of microbial taxa and functional features, with a focus on machine learning methods for building risk predictors.
• Development, publication, and implementation of novel quantitative methods for microbiome multi-omics, with a focus on better methods for modeling shifts in microbial states, including Dynamic Bayesian network analysis.
• Presentation of results to collaborators, local, national, and international scientific audiences encompassing diverse fields (dietary, computational, and biological).
• Optional mentoring and/or teaching opportunities in the context of Ph.D. students from Biology, undergraduates, and public guest lectures and workshops.
• Regular interaction with internal and external contacts, including scientists from Mayo Clinic and Baylor College of Medicine, collaborators, students, postdocs, and external clinicians.

Qualifications:

• PhD in Biostatistics, Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, or related fields. Some experience with microbiome, microbiological, or molecular 'omics preferred.
• Familiarity with statistics for high-throughput sequencing, ideally microbial community metagenomics, and/or microbial genetics, or RNA-seq.
• Excellent record of scientific contributions, publications, and presentations; primary or key author on one or more major presentations and papers.
• Must be able to handle a variety of tasks, to effectively solve problems with numerous and complex variables, and to shift priorities rapidly.
• Demonstrated success in working on complex, novel research problems.
• Creativity, curiosity, and the desire, persistence and ability to create scientific advances in human microbiome science.

Baylor Experience
Working at Baylor is so much more than simply having a job! As part of the Baylor family, employees not only receive a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical and dental insurance, and generous time off, they also get to experience Baylor.

• Experience a mission driven organization based on a strong Christian commitment (www.baylor.edu/about)
• Experience Baylor academics with outstanding tuition remission for staff and qualified dependents*
• Experience Baylor athletics with reduced admission or free access to athletic events
• Experience our beautiful campus with access to libraries, museums, and recreational facilities such as our fitness center, athletic courts, an indoor swimming pool, and the Baylor marina to name a few
• Experience our great dining facilities and enjoy an employee discount

Learn more about great opportunities to connect and be a part of our local community in Baylor’s Waco Culture Guide!

To Apply
Candidates should submit an electronic packet with the following items to the job posting (https://ejof.fa.us2.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX/job/10678/?utm_medium=jobshare): (1) a cover letter describing of your research experience, interests, and goals, and (2) a curriculum vita (CV).

Questions Regarding Application
For questions pertaining to the application process or to learn more about the postdoctoral research associate position, please contact Dr. Leigh Greathouse by email Leigh_Greathouse@baylor.edu.

About Baylor
Baylor University is a private Christian university and a nationally ranked research institution, consistently listed with highest honors among The Chronicle of Higher Education’s “Great Colleges to Work For.” Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Texas. The university provides a vibrant campus community for over 16,000 students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Baylor is actively recruiting staff who support our mission as we pursue our bold vision, Illuminate.

Baylor University is a private not-for-profit university affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas. As an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer, Baylor is committed to compliance with all applicable anti-discrimination laws, including those regarding age, race, color, sex, national origin, pregnancy status, military service, genetic information, and disability. As a religious educational institution, Baylor is lawfully permitted to consider an applicant’s religion as a selection criterion. Baylor encourages women, minorities, veterans, and individuals with disabilities to apply.