Bioinformatics Analyst I - Tumor Dormancy, Metastasis and Drug Resistance
Cures Start Here. At Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, home to three Nobel laureates, interdisciplinary teams of world-renowned scientists seek new and innovative ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening diseases. Fred Hutch’s pioneering work in bone marrow transplantation led to the development of immunotherapy, which harnesses the power of the immune system to treat cancer. An independent, nonprofit research institute based in Seattle, Fred Hutch houses the nation’s first cancer prevention research program, as well as the clinical coordinating center of the Women’s Health Initiative and the international headquarters of the HIV Vaccine Trials Network. Careers Start Here.
At Fred Hutch, we believe that the innovation, collaboration, and rigor that result from diversity and inclusion are critical to our mission of eliminating cancer and related diseases. We seek employees who bring different and innovative ways of seeing the world and solving problems. Fred Hutch is in pursuit of becoming an antiracist organization. We are committed to ensuring that all candidates hired share our commitment to diversity, antiracism, and inclusion.
Responsibilities
The Laboratory for the Study of Metastatic Microenvironments, led by Cyrus Ghajar at the Fred Hutch has an opening for a Computational Scientist with experience in biological sciences/biotechnology. This position will work with members of the laboratory of Dr. Ghajar in the Translational Research Program to embark on an exciting journey to tackle some of the most burning issues in tumor dormancy, metastasis and drug resistance, through an approach which combines cutting edge computational methods, focused translational studies with rare human specimens, and cell biology studies in cell lines and animal models.
The successful applicant will be involved in a number of projects, with a basic overall goals to: 1) apply computational methods to understand genetic relationships between a primary tumor and disseminated tumor cells; 2) and 3) understand interactions between cancer cells, stromal cells and immune cells. More specifically, the candidate will perform large-scale analysis of whole exome sequencing data and transcriptomic (RNAseq, single cell RNAseq) datasets that have either been generated by the Ghajar Lab, or are publicly available. This will entail processing, aligning and loading the datasets in appropriate programs (R or Python), displaying the data and generating data-driven hypotheses which will be tested in the lab. Some of the analyses will include statistical modeling, phylogenetic analyses, and building upon computational methods such as CellPhoneDB or NicheNET to understand receptor-ligand interactions in the disseminated tumor cell microenvironment.
The candidate will present these findings in the lab meetings and will be expected to contribute data figures for manuscript/grant preparation.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in biology, biotechnology, bioengineering or related fields is required, with a Master's degree preferred
- Experience with analysis next-generation sequencing data is required
- Knowledge of programming languages including R and/or Python is required
- Desire to be trained at the bench and conduct cell biology experiments would be a definite plus.
- Good communication skills and an interest in learning
- Ability to work independently and in a team.
- Good numeracy, literacy and organizational skills.
A statement describing your commitment and contributions toward greater diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism in your career or that will be made through your work at Fred Hutch is requested of all finalists.
Our Commitment to Diversity
We are proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA) Employer. We are committed to cultivating a workplace in which diverse perspectives and experiences are welcomed and respected. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, ancestry, national origin, sex, age, disability (physical or mental), marital or veteran status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, political ideology, or membership in any other legally protected class. We are an Affirmative Action employer. We encourage individuals with diverse backgrounds to apply and desire priority referrals of protected veterans. If due to a disability you need assistance/and or a reasonable accommodation during the application or recruiting process, please send a request to our Employee Services Center at hrops@fredhutch.org or by calling 206-667-4700.