Post-Doctoral Fellow

Benefits --------

All VCU employee types are eligible for a wide array of benefits to support you during your employment at VCU. Consult the benefits website for information on benefits eligibility according to employee type.

Unit: School Of Medicine MBU Department: Psychiatry Duties & Responsibilities -------------------------

A postdoctoral position is available at the VIPBG to study phenotypic and genetic etiology of complex traits including neuropsychiatric and substance disorders. Candidates should have experience with computational and statistical approaches for analyzing phenotypic and genetics data. Candidates who have strong backgrounds in statistical and/or machine learning approaches and are interested in studying these traits are also encouraged to apply.

The Postdoctoral Fellow will analyze and/or develop pipelines to analyze phenotypic and genetic data generated from two primary sources:

• The Asian Bipolar Genetics Network (A-BIG-NET): https://abignet.org
• A large-scale biobank data, e.g. the UK Biobank, the All of Us Research Program, and other relevant public datasets.

Qualifications -------------

Minimum Qualifications:

• Candidates should hold an M.D. or Ph.D. in quantitative psychology, genetics, statistics, computational biology, bioinformatics, or a similar quantitative discipline.
• Essential qualifications include a strong publication record in the genetics and genomics of complex traits.
• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python or R and experience with high-performance computing (HPC) environments are also required.
• Prior experience with genome-wide association studies (GWAS) or next-generation sequencing studies is necessary.

Demonstrated ability to work in and foster an environment of respect, professionalism, and civility with a population of faculty, staff, and students from various backgrounds and experiences, or a commitment to do so as a staff member at VCU.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with neuropsychiatric and substance use disorders or other complex traits
• Experience with machine learning approaches
• Experience with Bayesian data analysis
• Experience with the development and implementation of new computational tools for complex traits
• Experience with genetics analysis tools, e.g. PLINK, SAIGE
• Proven ability to work independently while also thriving in a collaborative research environment
• Strong critical and independent thinking skills

Research Environment -------------------

The VIPBG is an exciting, highly collaborative research environment with a strong record of funding research and training. We focus on some of the most challenging and important problems in all of bio-medicine and have contributed some of the most important findings in psychiatric and behavioral genetics in our >25 year history. We look forward to future successes with new projects, faculty trainees, and collaborations.

Application ------------

Interested candidates may reach out to Tan Hoang Nguyen at tanhoang.nguyenvcuhealth.org and Kenneth Kendler at kenneth.kendlervcuhealth.org.

Position Details -----------------

• Position will remain open until filled.
• This will be a minimum one-year appointment contingent upon satisfactory annual reviews.
• Salary is commensurate with NIH guidelines and applicant experience.
• VCU is committed to hiring veterans. VCU will include a veterans period of military service in the calculation of their annual leave accrual rate. This may provide veterans with an increased leave accrual.

Salary Range ------------

NIH minimum starting at $62,232.

FSA Exemption Status -------------------

Exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).

ORP Eligible ------------

Yes.

Rank -----

Non-Faculty