Computational Postdoctoral Fellow

About the team/job

EMBL is Europe’s flagship laboratory for the life sciences – an intergovernmental organisation with more than 110 independent research groups and service teams covering the spectrum of molecular biology. It operates across six sites in Heidelberg (headquarters), Barcelona, Cambridge, Grenoble, Hamburg and Rome. Our mission is to perform basic research in molecular biology; train scientists, students and visitors at all levels; offer vital services to scientists in the public and private sectors within the member states; develop new instruments and methods; and engage actively in technology transfer.

EMBL shares the Monterotondo Campus with the Italian National Research Council (CNR) Institute for Biochemistry and Cell Biology (IBBC).

The Boskovic group at the Epigenetics and Neurobiology Unit at EMBL Rome, Italy, is recruiting a computational postdoctoral fellow to investigate the impact of human exposomes on mammalian physiology and reproductive outcomes. The Boskovic group uses experimental and computational approaches to study the mechanisms of intergenerational epigenetic inheritance, combining mammalian exposure models with assisted reproductive technologies and genomics in the embryo. Building on exciting recent insights into paternal effects in mice, the current project aims to systematically dissect the impact of environmental exposures on intergenerational health and disease burden in human populations. 

Your role

To meet the research goals of the project, the person appointed will be responsible for deep-mining of available human biobank and epidemiological datasets to identify relevant resources for tracking intergenerational exposure impacts.

The appointed person will aim to infer significant relationships between parental exposures and offspring phenotypes, linking those to lab-based discoveries from murine models. This project is conducted in collaboration with the Hackett lab (EMBL Rome) as a part of Human Ecosystems Transversal Theme. The appointed person will be expected to closely collaborate with their wet-lab colleagues and drive the project forward to publication.

EMBL Rome hosts a vibrant and highly-collaborative community of researchers studying various mammalian physiological phenomena from molecular to system levels and the candidate will be integrated within the scientific and socio-professional activities within the Unit and across EMBL.

You have

• PhD in Bioinformatics, Genetics, Biostatistics, Computer science or related subjects.
• Extensive experience in bioinformatics analyses,particularly in genetic association testing.
• Demonstrable experience in performing computationalanalysis on aLinux based system.
• Strong coding skills in one of either, C, Python or R.p>
• Pro-active attitude and hands-on approach to problem solving.
• Excellent communication, teamwork, and interpersonal skills with highest ethical standards.
• Fluency in written and spoken English.

You might also have

• Previous exposure to any one of these areas is highly preferred but not required: human genetics, epidemiology, data science.
• Experience with multi-omics data processing and analyses is beneficial.
• Knowledge of Italian is beneficial but not required; the working language at EMBL is English.

Why join us

EMBL is curiosity-driven, community-oriented and international. As an inclusive, equal opportunity employer, we believe that diversity enables us to collaborate more effectively and be innovative in our approaches. We are, therefore, committed to creating an inclusive and flexible culture - one where everyone can realise their full potential and make a positive contribution to our organisation. 

We encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing team – we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and personal experiences reflect the diversity of the populations that our science serves. We actively encourage applications from all genders and cultures, ethnic groups and all demographics to help us avoid perpetuating biases and oversights at this transformational point in our people strategy.

EMBL offers attractive conditions and benefits appropriate to an international research organisation with a very collegial and family-friendly working environment. Competitive salary and social security benefits, financial support for relocation, a relaxed culture, professional development, an on-site nursery, canteen and other staff facilities make EMBL a great place to work. 

What else you need to know

We are Europe’s flagship research laboratory for the life sciences – an intergovernmental organisation performing scientific research in disciplines including molecular biology, physics, chemistry and computer science. We are an international, innovative and interdisciplinary laboratory with more than 1900 employees from many nations, operating across six sites, in Heidelberg (HQ), Barcelona, Hinxton near Cambridge, Hamburg, Grenoble and Rome.

Our mission is to offer vital services in training scientists, students and visitors at all levels; to develop new instruments and methods in the life sciences and actively engage in technology transfer activities, and to integrate European life science research. The working language of the institute is English.

EMBL is a signatory of DORA. Find out how we implement best practices in research assessment in our recruitment processes here.

Please apply online, by clicking the 'Apply' button.