Postdoctoral Associate - Functional Genomics

Baylor College of Medicine (BCM); Houston (TX); On-site; USD 60,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

The Department of Ophthalmology at Baylor College of Medicine seeks a Postdoctoral Associate in human molecular genetics/genomics for Dr. Rinki Ratnapriya's lab.

The work focuses on applying genomic technologies to address translational and clinical bioinformatic challenges in retinal and macular degenerative diseases. The lab investigates non‑coding cis-regulatory variation and generates multiple high‑throughput data sets (genome, epigenome, transcriptome) in disease-relevant tissues, using

Qualifications

• MD or Ph.D. in Basic Science, Health Science, or a related field.
• No experience required.

Responsibilities

• Plans, conducts and analyzes research projects.
• Dissociates human/model organisms tissue samples and prepares them for next‑generation sequencing (NGS) compatible experiments.
• Designs, implements, and operates bioinformatics pipelines using existing analytical tools for NGS applications.
• Applies intellectual curiosity and passion for applying data science to biomedical problems.
• Summarizes, visualizes, and communicates research and analysis findings to the principal investigator and for research publications in scientific journals.
• Conducts laboratory operations and supervises research staff.
• Works developing and applies genomic technologies that can aid in improving gene discovery and genetic diagnosis in retinal degenerative diseases.
• Focuses heavily on analysis of high‑throughput bulk and single‑cell multi‑omic data (ATAC‑seq and RNA‑seq) in ocular tissues.
• Performs other job‑related duties as assigned.

Skills

Genomic data analysis

Bioinformatics

Education

MD or Ph.D. in Basic Science, Health Science, or a related field

Tools

Python

R

Job description

Monday - Friday, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Summary

The Department of Ophthalmology is seeking a Postdoctoral Associate in the human molecular genetics/genomics field for the laboratory of Dr. Rinki Ratnapriya at Baylor College of Medicine. Dr. Ratnapriya’s lab focuses on harnessing the power of genomic technologies to address translational and clinical bioinformatic challenges pertaining to retinal and macular degenerative diseases. The lab is working toward understanding the role of non‑coding cis‑regulatory sequence variation in the context of retinal diseases. The lab generates multiple high‑throughput functional genomics data sets on the genome, epigenome, and transcriptome in disease‑relevant tissues/cells and uses computational approaches to integrate and analyze this data to identify the molecular components and the structure of the regulatory apparatus underlying gene expression variation.

Application Requirements

To apply for the position, qualified candidates should submit a one‑page cover letter stating reasons for their scientific interest in the lab, career goals, a curriculum vitae including technical skills, and the names and contact information of three references.

Baylor College of Medicine typically follows guidelines similar to the NIH stipend guidelines for Postdoctoral Associates.

Job Duties

• Plans, conducts and analyzes research projects.
• Dissociates human/model organisms tissue samples and prepares them for next‑generation sequencing (NGS) compatible experiments.
• Designs, implements, and operates bioinformatics pipelines using existing analytical tools for NGS applications.
• Applies intellectual curiosity and passion for applying data science to biomedical problems.
• Summarizes, visualizes, and communicates research and analysis findings to the principal investigator and for research publications in scientific journals.
• Conducts laboratory operations and supervises research staff.
• Works developing and applies genomic technologies that can aid in improving gene discovery and genetic diagnosis in retinal degenerative diseases.
• Focuses heavily on analysis of high‑throughput bulk and single‑cell multi‑omic data (ATAC‑seq and RNA‑seq) in ocular tissues.
• Performs other job‑related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• MD or Ph.D. in Basic Science, Health Science, or a related field.
• No experience required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Has strong programming (Python and R) skills and molecular biology background.
• Demonstrates scientific productivity, rigor and creativity with a strong publication record in peer‑reviewed scientific journals.

Baylor College of Medicine is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Equal Access Employer.