Bioinformatics Student Analyst - Spring/Summer 2021 (AbbVie Innovation Center)
Position Description:
Auto-immune diseases occur in 3~5% of the population. Although the site of attack is organ- or tissue-specific, the clinical signs and symptoms of difference diseases overlap and individual patients often present with syndromes that combine features of more than one disease. Thus, common groups of genes may contribute to development of different auto-immune diseases. The goal of this project is to create an auto-immune disease land in ArrayStudio to enable cross study interrogations of gene expression patterns for single genes and multi-gene signatures. Furthermore, common disease mechanisms or compound treatment mechanisms will be inferred through specific data analysis leveraging tools offered by ArrayStudio and custom generated independent of ArrayStudio.
Major duties include:
· Systematically annotate internal and external datasets using controlled biological, disease or compound vocabularies;
· Prepare each dataset by using data wrangling or transcriptomics data analysis tools or pipelines to generate normalized data matrices or intermediate analysis results to enable land creation in the ArrayStudio environment;
· Load relevant studies into ArrayStudio and create an Abbvie proprietary auto-immune disease land;
· Using ArrayStudio land query tools and custom tools and conduct gene target and gene signature assessments for immunology projects.
Qualifications:
· Must be registered as a full-time student.
· Must be able to commit to a regular schedule during standard business hours;
· Undergraduate and Graduate students in quantitative sciences (mathematics, computer science statistics, bioinformatics, bioengineering);
· Cumulative minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0, or equivalent;
· 12 - 15 hours/week during the fall and/or spring semesters and 35-40 hours/week during the summer semester;
· Experience in biological data analysis (e.g. microarray and bulk RNASeq);
· Hands on experience with statistical and programing languages (Python or R) and Unix/Linux/cloud environment;
· A self-motivated learner and thinker.
Preferred Skills:
· Experience with constructing and running analytical workflows;
· Experience with text mining techniques (e.g. regular expression).
Note: The position will be hired through a third-party hiring agency and will begin as soon as possible over the current semester with an option to continue through fall semester.
The Genomics Research Center (GRC) is a center of excellence for genetics and genomics that supports both Discovery and Development. The GRC plays an integral role towards our goal of developing world class genetics and genomics research, focusing on finding the right targets and helping us better understand not only human disease biology but also the behavior of and response to our drugs in clinical trials. Within the GRC, the Department of Bioinformatics is responsible for data analysis and provides analytical insight for both internal and external data. This involves the identification and characterization of underlying genetic, epigenetic, or genomic factors that are associated with disease diagnosis, prognosis and response (efficacy and safety) to drug treatment, identification of new targets, and interpretation of the impact of genetic and genomic evidence from population-based studies. We have an exciting opportunity for a bioinformatic/Data scientist, based in Cambridge Massachusetts. The candidate will work closely with computational biologists and research project teams in Immunology based in Cambridge (MA), North Chicago (IL) to support analyzing genetics and single cell and multi-omics datasets to derive insights into immunological diseases, identify novel therapeutic targets and biomarkers specific to patient cohorts and Abbvie pipeline drugs.
Who We Are:
AbbVie (NYSE:ABBV) is a global, research-based biopharmaceutical company formed in 2013 following separation from Abbott Laboratories. Our ~47,000 employees are scientists, researchers, communicators, manufacturing specialists and regulatory experts located around the globe. We come up with new approaches to addressing today’s health issues—from life-threatening illness to chronic conditions. We target specific difficult-to-cure diseases where we can leverage our core R&D expertise to advance science. We are constantly working to create solutions that go beyond treating the illness to have a positive impact on patients’ lives, on societies—and on science itself. At AbbVie, we see a future full of possibility, where health is in reach and patient lives are improved.
The AbbVie Innovation Center (AIC), located in the Research Park at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, provides an opportunity for students and organizations throughout AbbVie to collaborate on projects that help advance our science. During the regular fall and spring semesters, this program is designed for students to work 12-15 hours/week in parallel with their school schedule. During the summer, students are expected to work 35-40 hours/week. As part of the “Any Student Anywhere” model, the AIC welcomes students from around the country to apply and work with us.
Learn more about AbbVie at www.abbvie.com.