Bioinformatician in pediatric sarcomas
Open from: 15.12.2023
Expiry date: —
Status: OPEN
The Italian Institute for Genomic Medicine (IIGM) is looking for a highly motivated and creative Bioinformatician to study the genomic and transcriptomic landscape of pediatric sarcomas under the supervision of Prof Matteo Cereda. The position is in the context of a national Italian multicenter project (SAR_GEN-ITA, ClinicalTrials.gov id:NCT04621201, PI: Prof Franca Fagioli – University of Turin, Regina Margherita Children’s Hospital) within the network of the “Associazione Italiana Ematologia Oncologia Pediatrica” (AIEOP).
Research
The main objective of SAR_GEN-ITA is identify the molecular underpinnings
driving sarcoma onset in young patients. To achieve this goal, our research program will combine genomic and transcriptomic sequencing approaches at bulk, single-cell, and longread levels. Patients will be tracked from the point of diagnosis throughout their treatment with data including longitudinal and multi-tumour site sequencing.
The research will include:
(1) applying bioinformatics approaches to define the clonal evolution of pediatric sarcomas;
(2) identifying molecular markers for use in clinical laboratories, especially in light of RNAbased therapeutics;
(3) developing a system for linking clinical information, treatment history, cancer genomes and histopathological records of well-characterised tumours.
Role
The post holder will be responsible for the analysis and integration of multi-omic nextgeneration sequencing of hundreds of pediatric sarcomas. He/she will contribute to the development of algorithms to decipher clonal evolution, intra-sample heterogeneity, driver alterations of these tumours. He/She will design of strategies to identify biomarkers of cancer progression/therapy response. He/she will be responsible for linking genomic data with clinical and treatment information of the patients. A key mission will be to ensure the delivery of computational analyses to identify actionable targets generated by alternative splicing defeats. To achieve these goals, the candidate will also be expected to contribute to the development of new algorithms and bioinformatics approaches. Robustness and reproducibility of bioinformatics analyses will be at the core of this role.
Requirements
• Master’s degree in a relevant subject (e.g., physics, computational biology, computer science, bioinformatics, bioengineering or in a related field of the life sciences). Ph.D. is a significant plus.
• Knowledge of programming languages as R, bash, python
• Prior experience in working with NGS, particularly in single-cell and long-read sequencing is a significant plus.
• Experience in standardised and modular bioinformatics workflows.
• Ability to present the results in oral presentations at meetings and in publications in top ranked journals relevant to the field.
• Ability to report research progress on a regular basis
• Fluency in English.
• Proven communication and problem-solving skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills demonstrated by the ability to gain the assistance and cooperation of others in a team endeavour.
• Ability to build trust through operating with transparency and creating an open and positive environment.
• Commitment to oncological research
IIGM is a private research institute located within the FPO Candiolo Cancer Research center.
The institutional goal is to foster and develop excellence in human genomic research and education, with special reference to genomic variability in multifactorial diseases, as cancer.
The institute provides high-level scientific education and access to state-of-the-art research facilities (e.g. Illumina, Oxford Nanopore sequencers).
Further information on the CGB laboratory are available at: http://www.ceredalab.com/
References. Del Giudice M. et al., Cell Reports (2022); Lauria A., Peirone S., Del Giudice M. et al., Nucleic Acid Research (2020); Cereda M., Gambardella G., Benedetti L., et al., Nature Communication (2016).
Application. To apply for this position please submit a cover letter in English, describing research experience and motivation, CV in English, and contact information of 2/3 references to: matteo.cereda@iigm.it
The position is available immediately.
