PostDoc in Computational Biology
A research computational biologist postdoctoral associate opportunity
is available with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural
Research Service (ARS) Swine Viral Diseases Pathogenesis and Immunology
project in the Virus and Prion Research Unit (VPRU) of the National
Animal Disease Center (NADC) in Ames, IA. Scientists in this unit
maintain a comprehensive IAV research program including investigation
of virulence mechanisms, vaccinology, immunology, and virus evolution.
The selected applicant will be responsible for characterization of the
genetic and antigenic evolution of influenza A viruses (IAV) in swine in
support of a contract between USDA-ARS and NIH-NIAID. Specific goals are
to quantify antigenic evolution of IAV from swine and define the global
relatedness of swine influenza viruses through computational analyses
with IAV sequences in the context of contemporary and historical isolates
for determination of phylogenetic relationships, lineages, interspecies
transmission, epidemiologic patterns, and antigenic drift or shift.
The selected applicant will utilize database(s) for efficient management
and analysis of swine IAV sequence data.
Qualifications
To be eligible, applicants must have received a doctorate degree
with emphasis on the disciplines of bioinformatics and computational
evolutionary biology within five years of the desired starting date.
The ideal candidate will be skilled in scripting language(s), sequence
analysis, use of biologic databases and various bioinformatics tools,
technical writing and peer-reviewed publications, public speaking,
and possess good interpersonal skills to work in a team environment.
Additional knowledge of statistical inference methods, virology, molecular
biology, and/or genetics is preferred.
While participants will not enter into an employment relationship with
ARS, this position requires a pre-employment check and a full background
investigation.
This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens, Lawful Permanent Residents
(LPR) and foreign nationals.
This is an equal opportunity program open to all qualified individuals
without regard to race, color, age, sex, religion, national origin,
mental or physical disability, genetic information, sexual orientation,
or covered veteran’s status.
Additional Information
The appointment is full-time for one year and may be renewed upon
recommendation of the ARS and availability of funding. The year one
annual stipend rate for this position is $65,009. A stipend supplement is
included in this rate to cover the cost of an individual or family health
insurance plan. The participant must show proof of health and medical
insurance. Health insurance can be obtained through ORISE. The rate
includes a travel allowance of $2,000 per year to reimburse travel-related
expenses to scientific and professional development activities. Funding
is not available for relocation expenses. The participant does not become
an employee of the ARS or ORISE.
For additional information about the ARS Postdoctoral Research Program,
please visit http://www.orise.orau.gov/usda-ars .
How to Apply
An application can be found at
http://orise.orau.gov/usda-ars/applicants/application.htm . Please
reference Project # ARS-VPRU-2014-0020 in your application and when
calling or writing for information.