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Unit: School Of Medicine MBU
Department: Psychiatry
Duties & Responsibilities:
A postdoctoral position is available at the VIPBG to study
phenotypic and genetic etiology of complex traits, including
neuropsychiatric and substance disorders. Candidates should have
experience with computational and statistical approaches for
analyzing phenotypic and genetics data. Candidates who have strong
backgrounds in statistical and/or machine learning approaches and
are interested in studying these traits are also encouraged to
apply.
The Postdoctoral Fellow will analyze and/or develop pipelines to
analyze phenotypic and genetic data generated from two primary
sources:
- The Asian Bipolar Genetics Network (A-BIG-NET, https://abignet.org/ ). A-BIG-NET is a
study designed to advance our understanding of the genetic basis of
bipolar disorder in Asian populations with a large, multi-national
sample collection. It is a collaborative grant among the Broad
Institute, National Taiwan University, Virginia Commonwealth
University, and Johns Hopkins University, with investigators from
the United States, India, Pakistan, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan,
and Vietnam.
Biobank and Public Datasets : Large-scale biobank data
(e.g., the UK Biobank, the All of Us Research Program) and other
relevant public datasets.
Qualifications:
Minimum Qualifications
- Candidates should hold an M.D. or Ph.D. in quantitative
psychology, genetics, statistics, computational biology,
bioinformatics, or a similar quantitative discipline. Essential
qualifications include a strong publication record in the genetics
and genomics of complex traits. Proficiency in programming
languages such as Python or R and experience with high-performance
computing (HPC) environments are also required. Prior experience
with genome-wide association studies (GWAS) or next-generation
sequencing studies is necessary.
- Demonstrated ability to work in and foster an environment of
respect, professionalism and civility with a population of faculty,
staff, and students from various backgrounds and experiences, or a
commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with neuropsychiatric and substance use disorders
(or other complex traits)
- Experience with machine learning approaches
- Experience with Bayesian data analysis
- Experience with the development and implementation of new
computational tools for complex traits.
- Experience with genetics analysis tools (e.g., PLINK,
SAIGE)
- A proven ability to work independently while also thriving in a
collaborative research environment.
- Strong critical and independent thinking skills.
The VIPBG is an exciting, highly collaborative research environment
with a strong record of funding, research and training. We focus on
some of the most challenging and important problems in all of
bio-medicine, and we have contributed some of the most important
findings in psychiatric and behavioral genetics in our >25 year
history. We look forward to future successes with new projects,
faculty, trainees and collaborations. The application will be
co-mentored by Drs. Kendler and Nguyen, and their
collaborators.
Contact
Interested candidates may reach out to Tan Hoang Nguyen at
tanhoang.nguyen@vcuhealth.org
and Kenneth Kendler at
kenneth.kendler@vcuhealth.org
Position will remain open until filled. This will be a minimum
one-year appointment, contingent upon satisfactory annual reviews.
Salary is commensurate with NIH guidelines and applicant
experience.
VCU is committed to hiring veterans! VCU will include a veteran's
period(s) of military service in the calculation of their annual
leave accrual rate. This may provide veterans with an increased
leave accrual!
Salary Range: NIH minimum starting at $62,232
FLSA Exemption Status: Exempt
ORP Eligible: Yes
Rank: Non Faculty