Computational Biologist - Pediatric Oncology/Stegmaier Lab

Overview

The Stegmaier Lab in the Department of Pediatric Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI) (affiliations with the Broad Institute and Boston Children's Hospital) is seeking highly motivated applicants for a COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGIST position. Our lab studies childhood cancer, the number one cause of disease-related death in school age children, particularly acute myeloid leukemia, sarcomas, and neuroblastoma. We aim to better understand tumor biology using cutting-edge experimental and computational approaches. A focus of our lab is the integration of functional genomic and chemical biology strategies to identify, validate, and mechanistically dissect new therapeutic targets in these childhood malignancies. Our lab led the initial Pediatric Cancer Dependency Map project with the Broad Institute, a genome-scale CRISPR-Cas9 screening effort, and is now playing a leading role in the Pediatric Cancer Dependency Map Accelerator with the DFCI, Broad Institute and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Our ultimate goal is to translate robust findings to early phase clinical trials.

Located in Boston and the surrounding communities, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a leader in life changing breakthroughs in cancer research and patient care. We are united in our mission of conquering cancer, HIV/AIDS and related diseases. We strive to create an inclusive, diverse, and equitable environment where we provide compassionate and comprehensive care to patients of all backgrounds, and design programs to promote public health particularly among high-risk and underserved populations. We conduct groundbreaking research that advances treatment, we educate tomorrow's physician/researchers, and we work with amazing partners, including other Harvard Medical School-affiliated hospitals.

Responsibilities

The computational biologist will lead the computational analysis and biological interpretation of novel datasets (including genome-scale CRISPR-Cas screens, chemical screens, RNA sequencing, ChIP and CUT & RUN sequencing, DNA methylation, whole exome and whole genome sequencing, etc.) generated from different types of childhood cancers. The goal of these analyses is to identify tumor-specific gene dependencies and biomarkers of response and to understand their mechanistic role in pediatric cancer. The project provides ample opportunity to advance scientific skills and to collaborate with world renowned experts in the fields of childhood cancer and data science. Candidates need to be passionate about cancer research and intrinsically motivated. Creativity and innovative/independent thinking are a must. A minimum two-year commitment is required, with appointment to commence in Summer/Fall of 2024.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required in a STEM field. Master's or PhD degree preferred in bioinformatics, computational biology, statistics, biostatistics, or computer science
• Solid understanding of Cancer Biology
• Programming experience in at least one statistical computing software (e.g., R, Python, MATLAB)
• Experience in developing/applying methods to analyze and visualize new types of genomic data
• Familiarity with high performance computing environments
• Ability to lead research projects working with postdocs and graduate students
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with scientists across disciplines from primary institute (e.g., DFCI) and other collaborating research centers
• Good oral and written communication skills
• Strong organizational skills, including the ability to handle a variety of tasks in a fast-paced environment
• An outstanding academic track record

At Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, we work every day to create an innovative, caring, and inclusive environment where every patient, family, and staff member feels they belong. As relentless as we are in our mission to reduce the burden of cancer for all, we are equally committed to diversifying our faculty and staff. Cancer knows no boundaries and when it comes to hiring the most dedicated and diverse professionals, neither do we. If working in this kind of organization inspires you, we encourage you to apply.

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is an equal opportunity employer and affirms the right of every qualified applicant to receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, national origin, sexual orientation, genetic information, disability, age, ancestry, military service, protected veteran status, or other characteristics protected by law.

EEOC Poster