Overview
The Computational Biologist be part of an interdisciplinary research group combining systems biology, immunology, and human genetics to uncover the mechanisms that drive autoimmune disease. The lab leads large-scale efforts such as the VIGOR family-based vitiligo cohort (vigor.umassmed.edu) and multi-omic studies of lupus and cutaneous autoimmunity, integrating data across molecular, cellular, and clinical scales.
This position will bridge two complementary areas of research:
- Molecular systems immunology, involving the analysis of single-cell and spatial transcriptomic, epigenomic, and proteomic datasets to dissect cell states and communication networks in diseased and healthy tissues.
- Genetic and longitudinal modeling, integrating genomic variation with real-world longitudinal data—including proteomics, wearable device metrics, survey responses, and clinical measures—to build predictive and causal models of disease initiation and progression.
The ideal candidate combines strong computational and statistical skills with a biological curiosity about how genetic and environmental factors jointly shape immune dysregulation.
Responsibilities
- Process, analyze, and interpret large-scale datasets including bulk and single-cell RNA-seq, ATAC-seq, proteomics, and spatial transcriptomics.
- Develop new analysis methods as needed and as they arise during investigations
- Perform clustering, trajectory inference, and regulatory network reconstruction to define immune cell states and pathways relevant to autoimmune pathogenesis.
- Work closely with clinicians, immunologists, and experimentalists to formulate biologically grounded hypotheses and computational analyses.
- Integrate genetic, molecular, and clinical features to identify mediators linking genotype to phenotype using mediation and causal inference frameworks (e.g., Bayesian networks).
- Combine data from wearable sensors (e.g., Fitbit activity, sleep, heart rate), clinical surveys, and biomarker measurements to model temporal dynamics of disease activity.
- Present findings in lab meetings, consortium calls, and scientific conferences; contribute to manuscripts and grant proposals.
- Generate publication-quality figures and interactive visualizations that communicate complex data intuitively.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications
- Master’s degree in Computational Biology, Bioinformatics, Genetics, Statistics, Physics, Math or a related quantitative field; Ph.D. strongly preferred.
- 1-3 years of related experience
- Strong proficiency in R or Python, statistical modeling, and data visualization.
- Strong understanding of linear models, mixed-effect models, and in general machine learning approaches to complex datasets.
- Experience working in Unix/Linux environments and using HPC or cloud-based computational resources.
Preferred Qualifications
- Background in human genetics or clinical genomics, including genotype imputation, association testing, and fine-mapping.
- Experience with integrative or multi-omic data analysis and familiarity with single-cell and spatial transcriptomic data.
- Knowledge of causal inference, longitudinal modeling, or Bayesian hierarchical modeling.
- Exposure to wearable-device or digital-phenotyping datasets and experience linking such data to molecular or clinical outcomes.
- Understanding of immunology or autoimmune disease biology.
- Familiarity with containerization (Docker/Singularity), workflow management systems (Snakemake, Nextflow), and reproducible-research practices.
Additional Information
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Organization
Realize Your Opportunities – A Career at UMASS Medical School
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A History of Making Vital Improvements - UMASS Medical School Milestones
1962: Legislation establishes University of Massachusetts Medical School
1970: First medical students begin classes in Shaw Building
1974: First class graduates 16 MDs
1979: PhD program begins
1986: Graduate School of Nursing opens
1986: PhD program becomes Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
1994: Graduate School of Nursing initiates PhD program
1998: UMass Clinical System and Memorial Health Care merge to form UMass Memorial Health Care
2001: Lazare Research Building opens
2002: Campus Modernization begins on the University Campus
2004: Graduate Entry Pathway Program established at the Graduate School of Nursing
2005: PhD Program in Clinical & Population Health Research established at the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
2005: Massachusetts Biologic Laboratories opens new manufacturing and filling facility in Mattapan
2006: Craig Mello, PhD, Blais University Chair in Molecular Medicine and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator, is awarded the Medical School's first Nobel Prize. Dr. Mello shared the 2006 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Andrew Fire, PhD, of Stanford University, for their discoveries related to RNA interference.
2007: Michael F. Collins, MD, is named chancellor and Terence R. Flotte, MD, is named dean of the School of Medicine.
2009: Groundbreaking for the Albert Sherman Center, a 500,000-square-foot research and education facility slated for completion in 2012.
2010: Ambulatory Care Center opens
2012: The Albert Sherman Center, a 500,000-square-foot research and education facility, completed and opens