Postdoctoral Research Position in Computational Biology & Environmental Health, Harvard University
Category : Alumni
Position Description
The Haber Lab in the Department of Environmental Health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health has an opening for a highly motivated Postdoc. Projects involve developing and applying computational and statistical approaches to investigate the effect of environmental exposures on the lungs and effects on the pathogenesis and exacerbation of asthma. The successful candidate will join an interdisciplinary team spanning several institutions, including the Chan School at Harvard, Brigham & Women’s Hospital, and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.
We seek an enthusiastic post-doctoral researcher to develop novel computational approaches for analysis of asthma at either the molecular level using computational and systems biology approaches to analysis of single-cell RNA-sequencing data, or at the epidemiological level, using geospatial analysis of city-wide datasets.
At the molecular level, projects in the lab examine the cellular and molecular effects of environmental exposures on the airways, and focus on analysis of high-dimensional ‘omics data (particularly single-cell RNA sequencing) from clinical samples and mouse models of airway injury, inflammation and regeneration. The successful candidate will also collaborate closely with clinical pulmonologists and immunologists to study molecular mechanisms underlying both airway tissue homeostasis and asthma pathogenesis.
At the epidemiological level, projects examine increased risk that neighborhoods and individual housing units contribute to asthma burden in Boston and elsewhere. This line of research in the lab seeks to isolate factors, such as poor housing conditions, in the social, physical, and built environment that contribute to racial and socioeconomic disparities in rates of asthma.
Basic Qualifications
- PhD or equivalent in computational biology, computer science, epidemiology, statistics, mathematics, or other quantitative field.
- Candidates holding a degree in biological/medical science are also welcome to apply if they have extensive background in computational or statistical work.
Additional Qualifications
- Applicants must have substantial experience with statistical or epidemiologic data analysis. Preference will be given to candidates with demonstrated research interests in areas currently under investigation (e.g. asthma, COPD, lung biology, mucosal immunology) in the research group.
- Experience and/or training in geospatial analysis, Bayesian disease mapping and other methods, spatial epidemiology
- Strong quantitative analysis skills and experience developing algorithms and/or conducting statistical analyses with large datasets, particularly genome-wide assays such as RNA-seq
- Knowledge of lung biology, mucosal immunology, biology of allergy, impact of environmental conditions, particularly poor-quality housing on respiratory health
- Track record of, or strong potential for, independent funding
How to Apply
Click here to read more about this position and apply online!
