Summary

The Atkinson lab in the Department of Molecular and Human Genetics at Baylor College of Medicine is recruiting a motivated Postdoctoral Associate to lead research projects in statistical and population genomics across diverse human populations. This postdoc will use large-scale genomic datasets to decrease disparities in genetics research across ancestry groups. They will have opportunities for driving analyses in consortium projects and gain mentorship experience via helping to train junior investigators in the group. The postdoc hired will have the flexibility to tailor projects to their own related areas of interest and work on a range of efforts that we are currently pursuing, including:

• Elucidating the genetic architecture of complex (primarily psychiatric) traits in diverse cohorts using ancestry-informed methods for GWAS, PRS, and heritability analyses
• Extending and developing statistical and computational tools for the improved genomic study of diverse populations
• Characterizing the patterns of admixture, demographic history, and evidence of natural selection for key human phenotypes in diverse understudied cohorts.

Our lab is in the leadership of multiple international consortia including the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (PTSD working group), Neuropsychiatric Genetics in African Populations study (NeuroGAP), and the Latin American Genomics Consortium, affording trainees access to a wealth of diverse large-scale genomic datasets containing a wide range of phenotypes for potential study. Baylor College of Medicine is a global leader in genetics research and provides a vibrant multidisciplinary research environment with close links to many other world-class institutions in the Texas Medical Center as well as BCM-affiliated hospitals across Houston. As a member of our team, you will be provided the opportunity for your contributions to be utilized and recognized across the vast global network of researchers in the fields of genomics and psychiatric disease research.

Job Duties

• Analyzes large genomic datasets, including ancestrally diverse participants and/or modeling demographic history.
• Characterizes the genetic basis of psychiatric and other complex disorders.
• Conducts analysis of large-scale datasets in a high-performance computing cluster or cloud-based system.
• Builds flexible analytic pipelines and computational resources for study of diverse cohorts.
• Implements statistical genetic tests.
• Interacts with with and training of junior researchers from diverse backgrounds.
• Disseminates results in the form of publications and conference presentations.

Minimum Qualifications

• MD or Ph.D. in Basic Science, Health Science, or a related field.
• No experience required.

Preferred Qualifications

• Candidates with backgrounds in genomics, population genetics, bioinformatics, and/or statistics would thrive in our group, as we are highly interdisciplinary across these areas. I strongly encourage candidates typically underrepresented in the sciences to apply!
• Ideal candidates for this role would have a PhD in a relevant field and experience/interest in several of the following domains:
  • Analyzing genomic datasets including ancestrally diverse participants and/or modeling demographic history
  • Conducting analysis of large-scale datasets in a Unix system on a high-performance computing cluster or cloud-based system
  • Coding experience, preferably with some background in python and/or R
  • Comfort with statistical analysis, especially linear/logistic regression
  • Willingness to interact with and train junior researchers from diverse backgrounds
  • Strong writing and presentation skills
  • Scientific creativity, and the ability to work well in a team as well as independently