Postoctoral Associate in Computational Multi-Omics for Immunotherapy

University of Calgary - Cumming School of Medicine; Calgary; On-site; CAD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A prestigious medical research institution is seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Associate to join the Morrissy Lab. This position focuses on understanding immunotherapy responses in solid tumors through innovative bioinformatics approaches and data science. Candidates are expected to have a PhD in relevant fields and must possess strong analytical skills to lead multi-omic dataset analyses. The position offers competitive salary and the chance to collaborate within a large network of professionals in cancer research.

Qualifications

• Strong track record in computational data analyses is required.
• Proficiency in R or Python is essential.
• Experience with spatial transcriptomics or single cell data is highly valuable.

Responsibilities

• Lead analyses of multi-omic datasets from patient samples.
• Design and carry out computational experiments.
• Lead writing of scientific manuscripts and mentor junior team members.

Skills

Bioinformatics

Data science

R programming

Python

Statistical analysis

Machine learning

Education

PhD in bioinformatics, computational biology, biostatistics, or data science

Tools

High-performance computing

Spatial transcriptomics

Single cell data analysis

Job description

Overview

The Morrissy Lab is seeking a highly motivated scientist with expertise in bioinformatics and data science to join our team as a Postdoctoral Associate focused on understanding immunotherapy responses in solid tumors. The candidate will use state-of-the-art analytic approaches to investigate multi-omics data and derive an in-depth understanding of tumor ecosystem dynamics in clinical samples from immunotherapy trials – including phenotypic and functional cell heterogeneity, tumor and microenvironment cell niches, and cellular crosstalk. This research is primarily focused on cohorts of single-patient and phase I clinical trial participants treated with CAR T-cells, and identifying mechanisms of immunotherapy response and resistance from longitudinally-collected blood and tumor tissue samples. The candidate will employ innovative bioinformatics and machine learning approaches to integrate single cell and spatial datasets from clinical samples with data from ongoing preclinical studies, further incorporating genomics and proteomics profiles from in-house or public repositories.

Responsibilities and Learning Objectives

• Lead analyses of multi-omic datasets from patient samples, with a focus on single cell and spatial datasets. Use statistical and machine learning approaches to interpret data in the context of tumor evolution and therapy response, with aims to understand: (1) dynamics of tumor growth, relapse, and resistance to current immunotherapies, (2) CAR T-cell clonal expansions and functional phenotypes throughout treatment, and (3) opportunities for novel development of next-generation CAR T products.
• Design and carry out computational experiments, mastering skills related to experimental design and data analysis for several technology platforms (single cell, spatial, genomics, proteomics). Learn and master skills for integrative analyses, and attain depth of knowledge in cancer biology, cancer genomics and immunogenomics, and bioinformatics.
• Lead writing of scientific manuscripts and contribute to training of more junior team members. Develop skills in networking, mentorship, grant writing, and other areas of professional development that will boost the candidate’s career trajectory.

Qualifications

• PhD degree in bioinformatics, computational biology, biostatistics, or data science is required or strongly encouraged to apply. A strong track record conducting computational data analyses (genomics/multi-omics) is required, as is proficiency in R or Python. Experience working in a high-performance computing environment is highly preferred. Expertise with spatial transcriptomics or single cell data is highly valuable. Understanding of cancer biology or immunology is also an asset.
• Evidence of scientific accomplishment via peer-reviewed publications, and excellent verbal and written communication skills are required. Organizational and problem-solving skills are integral to the position.

Job environment

The Postdoctoral Associate will work in close collaboration with members of the Riddell Center for Cancer Immunotherapy (including clinician scientists, oncologists, synthetic immunologists, and experts in biobanking, disease modelling, and genome engineering), providing the candidate with opportunities to learn from a large network of local and international professionals. The Riddell Center, embedded in the Cumming School of Medicine at the University of Calgary, has a primary mission to develop innovative immunotherapies for cancer patients with high unmet needs. This will be achieved within a fully integrated bench-to-bedside research ecosystem coupling cutting-edge discovery and innovation science with rapid translation into early phase clinical trials.

The University of Calgary is located in Canada’s fourth largest and most enterprising city. Named a cultural capital of Canada and one of the best places to live in the world, Calgary is a city of leaders – in business, community, philanthropy and volunteerism. Calgarians enjoy more days of sunshine per year than any other major Canadian city, are an hour’s drive to the majestic Rocky Mountains, and access the most extensive urban pathway and bikeway network in North America.

Application details

Interested and qualified applicants should send one PDF document that includes (1) a cover letter describing previous work, career goals, and potential start date, (2) CV, and (3) contact information for three referees. Address emails to [e-mail] with the title “Application for Postdoctoral Associate: Computational Multi-Omics for Immunotherapy”.

Position Information

All qualified candidates who are recent PhD graduates, or received a PhD within the last 1-5 years, are encouraged to apply. The University of Calgary respects, appreciates, and encourages diversity. Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience.