Research Officer (Bioinformatics and Genomics) - King Lab

There is an exciting opportunity for a talented and motivated researcher with expertise in bioinformatics and genomics to join the laboratory of Dr Hamish King in the Epigenetics and Development Division at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute.

The King lab studies how defects in the epigenetic control of gene expression are involved in human disease, with a particular interest in B cells and the immune system. The lab is building upon recent single-cell transcriptomic and epigenomic profiling of the human immune system (King et al. 2021a Science Immunology eabe6291, King et al. 2021b Science Immunology eabh3768) which identified transcription factors, chromatin-associated proteins and gene regulatory elements involved in dynamic immune cell states and diverse immune diseases. To investigate these gene regulatory mechanisms, we take an interdisciplinary approach and leverage biochemistry, functional and single-cell genomics, immunology, and bioinformatics to make fundamental discoveries about gene regulation in health and disease.

This position will focus on single-cell transcriptomic and epigenomic analyses of the human immune system to dissect basic principles of non-coding gene regulation in immune-mediated diseases like autoimmunity and immunodeficiency. Integration of large genetic variation resources (EBI GWAS, UK Biobank, GTex) with functional genomic datasets will be a key focus to identify the genetic mechanisms that drive diseases of the immune system. This will be in close collaboration with experimental biologists in the lab, and there will be the opportunity to design and generate new datasets. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to leverage our existing published and unpublished genomic resources to direct their research focus according to their specific interests.

The successful candidate will join a collaborative and highly supportive research team that is part of a dynamic research department. They will benefit from an extensive network of local and international collaborators, including biochemists, immunologists, bioinformaticians, and clinician scientists. They will be encouraged to develop new research directions that complement existing themes within the lab and will have the opportunity to establish and contribute to collaborative research projects and gain supervision experience.

Selection Criteria
Applicants should possess a PhD (or be near completion of a PhD) and have a strong track record in genomics, human genetics and/or bioinformatics.

The role requires knowledge of at least one widely-used programming language (i.e. R or Python) and experience working with the Unix command-line and high-performance cluster computing. Specific experience in analysing single-cell genomic datasets (scRNA, scATAC, scMultiome), functional genomic datasets (e.g. ATAC-seq, ChIP-seq, CUT&TAG) and/or CRISPR/Cas9 screening are highly desired. Experience implementing reproducible research and/or pipeline development (e.g. git, nextflow, snakemake) would be advantageous, but not essential.

This position will suit an enthusiastic and motivated individual with an independent work ethic, proven project management experience and a collaborative mindset. A strong understanding of molecular biology and ability to communicate with wet-lab scientists is vital to success in this role. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are required, including the ability to write for publication and presentation of research at conferences.

Terms of appointment
This position is available for three years in a full-time capacity, with the possibility of renewal based on performance. Candidates interested in 0.6 or 0.8 part time are also encouraged to apply. Please mention if this relevant to your application in your cover letter.

Salary for the Research Officer role is Research Employee RE A 6-8 ($97,152 - $104,281), subject to experience level. Up to 17% superannuation and very attractive salary packaging options are available.

General enquiries are encouraged and can be directed to Hamish King – king.h@wehi.edu.au
A position description is available here.

How to apply
Please apply through the WEHI careers page: https://www.wehi.edu.au/careers/

Application closing date:  31 Oct 2023