Research Associate – Lorincz Lab Full-time

Research Associate – Lorincz Lab

The Department of Medical Genetics at The University of British Columbia (UBC) invites applications for a full-time Research Associate position in the Lorincz Laboratory located in the Life Sciences Institute. The candidate must have strong understanding of genetics and molecular biological techniques, coupled with demonstrated bioinformatic skills. Experience in analyses of ChIP-seq and RNA-seq data would be an asset.

JOB SUMMARY

Project involves the study of the interplay between Polycomb proteins and the histone modifications deposited by them and NSD1, which deposits the histone modification H3K36me2, on expression of genes in early embryonic development. Involves isolation and analysis of mouse embryos and in parallel CRISPR-based genetic engineering of embryonic stem cells and the analysis of this model system. Experiments include genome-wide analyses of epigenetic marks (ChIP-seq, whole-genome bisulphite sequencing, ATACseq) and gene expression (RNA-seq) using high-throughput sequencing methods optimized for small amounts of starting material. Responsibilities include conducting bioinformatic analyses of data generated and write-up of manuscripts describing results obtained.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Research Associate reports to Dr. Lorincz, the principal investigator, but is expected to operate independently on a daily basis. Results are reviewed and additional experiments outlined on a weekly basis. The Research Associate regularly interacts with members of the Lorincz lab regarding data generation and Bioinformatic pipelines and will be expected to interact with members from collaborating research labs. The Research Associate attends weekly meetings of all laboratory workers and presents results of the week's work.

QUALIFICATIONS/ WORK PERFORMED

• PhD in Genetics or related discipline with a proven track record in working with mouse models. Experience in early mouse embryo isolation and analysis preferred.

• Experience working with mouse Embryonic Stem Cells and differentiation systems along with CRISPR-based genetic engineering desirable.

• At least 3 years of experience in the generation and analysis of next-generation sequencing data, including ChIP-seq and RNA-seq data from limiting numbers of cells.

• Analyze next generation sequencing data, including whole genome, whole exome, RNA-seq, ChIP-seq and ATAC-seq data. Experience with various aligners (i.e BWA, TopHat, STAR) and ChIP-seq analysis tools (i.e FindPeaks, MACS, Broadpeaks) required.

• Experience with various generic bioinformatics tools, including Samtools, UCSC genome browser, BLAT, clustalW, Circos, and ORFfinder recommended.

• Excellent communication skills and the ability to work effectively in a fast-paced interdisciplinary environment.

• Strong academic publication record in the field of epigenetics.

• Strong writing skills. RA will write manuscripts relating to work conducted with Dr. Lorincz.

• Proven track record of supervising and mentoring junior lab personnel required (e.g. research assistants, graduate trainees)

• Evidence of success in obtaining research grants or fellowship funding an asset

CONSEQUENCES OF ERROR/IMPACT OF DECISIONS

Mouse work requires strong attention to detail and animal husbandry techniques. The analyses performed require strong background in bioinformatics. Errors in wet lab or dry lab work will result in delayed output of dataset analyses.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED

After initial training the Research Associate is expected to perform wet lab and bioinformatic analyses with only general supervision. The Research Associate discusses results and plans for additional analyses with principal investigator on a daily or bi-weekly basis.

SUPERVISION GIVEN

The Research Associate performs animal husbandry, molecular biology and bioinformatic analyses and teaches the application of these tools to other lab members, including graduate students and postdocs.

An application package should include a cover letter, CV with evidence of educational background, professional experience, and names and contact information of three referees.