The Channing Division of Network Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital is looking for exceptional
postdoctoral fellowship candidates to join the Systems Genetics and Genomics group to advance research in
chronic respiratory diseases, with a focus on the identification of multi-omics biomarkers for chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD).


Brigham and Women's Hospital is an international leader in healthcare dedicated to improving the well-being of
individuals around the globe through excellence in clinical care and breakthroughs in research discoveries. A
major teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital has a legacy of excellence
that reaches patients from 120 countries worldwide. This postdoctoral fellowship position is within the Channing
Division of Network Medicine, a research division in the Department of Medicine at Brigham and Women's
Hospital and Harvard Medical School. We employ an integrated, network-based, systems biology-driven
approach to decipher the origins of complex diseases. Our goal is to redefine complex diseases by elucidating
their fundamental pathobiological mechanisms, ultimately paving the way for novel treatment and preventive
strategies based on revolutionary systems-driven disease classifications. The division comprises over 50
distinguished primary faculty members with expertise in various fields, including epidemiology, statistics,
bioinformatics, genetics, epigenetics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, metagenomics, and network-based analyses
of complex human diseases.


The principal investigators' research spans three related areas - the identification of novel biomarkers associated
with COPD, the application of machine learning to better characterize the clinical and molecular basis of COPD,
and the development of clinical prediction tools using multi-omics data. COPD is a prevalent condition affecting
as many as 24 million individuals in the United States. It imposes a substantial impact on both the morbidity and
mortality rates, and unfortunately, there are presently no available disease-modifying therapies. Our group has
led some of the largest and most comprehensive genetic and multi-omics studies in obstructive lung diseases,
including identifying novel genetic associations and performing functional studies to identify new disease pathways. The postdoctoral fellow will collaborate with Dr. Castaldi and Dr. El Boueiz to identify novel multi-omics biomarkers and molecular subtypes of centrilobular, panlobular, and paraseptal emphysema patterns utilizing a systems biology approach to understand relationships between multiple omics data types. This project will leverage two large, well-phenotyped, NIH-funded studies (COPDGene and Lung Tissue Research Consortium (LTRC)) as well as the team's extensive expertise in modern imaging techniques, multi-omics data analysis, machine learning approaches, and in vitro functional validation.


Job duties:


• Under the direction of the PIs and research staff, the applicant is expected to independently carry out daily
research activities.
• Work with our interdisciplinary team, consisting of geneticists and genetic epidemiologists,
biostatisticians, computational biologists, translational scientists, and clinicians.
• Review the literature and become familiar with the epidemiologic and multi-omics studies that are relevant
to the research project.
• Program and analyze data using R / Bioconductor and Linux.
• Write abstracts and manuscripts.



Qualifications

Qualifications:


• Educational qualifications: MD and/or PhD degree in a field relevant to computational biology,
bioinformatics, statistical genetics, computer science, and/or molecular biology.
• Research experience: Prior research experience in computational biology or related fields.
• Programming skills: Proficiency in programming languages and bioinformatics tools commonly used in
computational biology.
• Machine learning: Familiarity with machine learning techniques applied to biological datasets.
• Communication skills: Excellent written and oral communication skills to convey research findings,
collaborate with team members, and present at conferences.
• Independence and initiative: The ability to work independently on research projects while being open to
guidance and collaboration.
• Project management: Strong project management skills to plan, execute, and complete research projects
on time with the ability to maintain a detailed and well-organized record of the research performed and
the results obtained.
• Adaptability: Willingness and ability to adapt to new technologies, tools, and research directions as the
field evolves.
• Ethical conduct: A commitment to conducting research with integrity and following ethical guidelines.


Training goals:
• Acquire advanced skills for analyzing complex biological data, including high-throughput data.
• Develop advanced proficiency in programming languages and bioinformatics tools commonly used in
computational biology.
• Develop strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills to address complex biological questions.
• Publish research findings in reputable journals and present work at conferences.
• Learn how to write competitive research proposals and apply for research funding.
• Develop skills in mentoring graduate and undergraduate students.
• Meet with the PIs at least twice weekly with the fellow to discuss research findings, solicit feedback,
evaluate progress, and provide appropriate support and mentoring.
• Receive guidance on career planning and job search strategies.



EEO Statement

BWH is an Affirmative Action Employer. By embracing diverse skills, perspectives and ideas, we choose to lead. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, age, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, military service, genetic information, and/or other status protected under law. We will ensure that all individuals with a disability are provided a reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.