Postdoctoral researcher/Bioinformaticist - Dept of Microbiology and Immunology - - Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia Commonwealth University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action university providing access to education and employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, political affiliation, veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or disability.

Position Summary:

VCU School of Medicine is searching for a Post-Doctoral researcher withexpertise and interests to join a research team focused on high throughput humanand pathogen genomics. The team is particularly focused on: 1) developing andapplying high throughput DNA and RNA sequencing to characterize genome variantswith relevance to pathogen evolution, infectivity, and transmission; and 2)elucidating human gene expression patterns in response to colonization by differentmicrobial taxa. As a part of our work in the CDC-funded Pathogen GenomicsCenter of Excellence, particular attention is focused on respiratory pathogensincluding but not limited to Sars-CoV-2, Hepatitis A virus, Influenza Viruses.The successful applicant will also participate on studies of the humanmicrobiome and its effect on human health, with a particular focus on themicrobiome of the female reproductive tract. Responsibilities among other objectives will include bioinformatics analysis of high throughput DNA/RNAsequence data, assembling viral, bacterial and other microbial pathogen genomesfrom complex sequencing data sets, comprehensive annotation of pathogengenomes, identification and characterization of genomic variations in pathogengenomes, developing of classification schemes for such variants, and assessingthe impact of sequence variants on human gene expression and genome function. Someexperience with sequence data analysis will be conducive to a high level ofproductivity in our project. Creative development of new strategies foranalysis of genomic sequence using GPT, AI and other machine learningtechnologies is not essential. Analysis of human sequences generated by highthroughput sequencing, including RNA Seq, Methyl Seq, single cell and spatialanalysis, etc., is a plus.  

Required Qualifications:

The successful applicant will be an experienced molecular biologist comfortablewith wet lab aspects of high throughput sequencing. He/she/they need to be experiencedin cell and molecular biology with a willingness to learn some bioinformaticsanalyses. Required is a Ph.D. Molecular Biology, Molecular Microbiology andInfectious Disease, Bioinformatics, Computer Science, Computational SystemsBiology, Biomedical Engineering, or related field, and at least two years ofrelevant field experience. Demonstrated commitment to fostering diversity andinclusion or a commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU.

The School of Medicine continuously strives for our workplace and learning environment to reflect the demographic and social milieu of the communities we serve. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply.

This is a restricted position with no set end date and continued employment is dependent upon project need, availability of funding, and performance.

ORP Eligible:Yes

Virginia CommonwealthUniversity (VCU) School of Medicine is a premier academic medical centerlocated in the heart of Richmond. Accounting for almost half of VCU’s sponsoredresearch, the School of Medicine is internationally recognized for patient careand education. All full-time university staff are eligible for VCU’s generousbenefits package that includes: competitive health benefits, paid annual andholiday leave, retirement planning and savings options, tax-deferred annuityand cash match programs, Virginia Retirement System (VRS), professionaldevelopment & certifications, tuition waiver, parental leave, caregivingleave and community service leave. Learn more about VCU’s benefits here:https://hr.vcu.edu/careers-at-vcu/why-work-at-vcu/

Salary Range: $56,484-$75,000 commensurate with experience and expertise.

Position Details:

Department: Microbiology and Immunology
Employment Type: PD - Post Doc
Restricted Status: Yes
FTE: 100
Exemption Status: Exempt

Contact Information:

Contact Name: SOMHR

Contact Email: SOMHR@vcuhealth.org