Senior postdoc bioinformatics in human genetics

The candidate has excellent bioinformatics skills, is an expert in the analysis of sequencing data, preferably has experience with long-read data analysis, and has a keen interest in using these skills to improve and expand genetic healthcare. The candidate is a team player, likes to collaborate, can be an inspiring mentor for junior (computational) scientists, and is motivated to support existing projects as well as to develop new research lines.

As a senior postdoc bioinformatics in our Research Section, you like to be challenged to exploit the full potential of all diagnostics sequencing efforts done in the Department. With your skills to develop computational tools and pipelines you want to bring our translational research to the next level. You are expected to recognize new research opportunities, help writing grant applications and help supervising computational (PhD) students. Your work will result in the discovery of novel disease mechanisms and in the development of novel diagnostics approaches that will be implemented in the clinic, ultimately to improve genetic healthcare. You will therefore closely collaborate with our team of research PIs, with our clinical bioinformatics team, and with other relevant UMCU research groups such as the AI research group headed by Prof. Dr. Jeroen de Ridder.

We are looking for a Senior Postdoc with the following profile:

• PhD in bioinformatics.
• Advanced knowledge of Python, R and Bash, knowledge of Nextflow is a plus.
• Preferably 2-5 years of postdoctoral experience.
• Experience in the fields of AI, statistics, NGS data analysis, genetics.
• Experience with long-read sequencing and/or transcriptomics is a plus.
• Experience with human genetics and monogenic disorders is a plus.
• Keen interest in translational research and societal impact.
• Ambition to contribute to and build a career in the field of human/clinical genetics, with the desire to operate with an open and collaborative attitude.
• Personality: team player, broad interest, independent.
• Proficient in English.

The maximum salary for this position (32 - 32 hours) is € 7.232,00 gross per month based on full-time employment.

In addition, we offer an annual benefit of 8.3%, holiday allowance, travel expenses and career opportunities. The terms of employment are in accordance with the Cao University Medical Centers (UMC).

You will join a growing team of enthusiastic translational researchers at the Genetics Research Section. This section has five principal investigators and is headed by Prof. Dr. Wouter de Laat. We are embedded within the Department of Genetics at the UMC Utrecht. Within the Department we collaborate with Clinical Geneticists constantly counseling new patients, Genomediagnostics, who sequence thousands of patients per year based on the latest, most state-of-the-art, sequencing platforms (both short and long read), the Metabolic Diagnostics, which use untargeted metabolomics for their patients, and Clinical Bioinformatics, headed by Dr. Hanneke van Deutekom, for the most responsible and smooth processing of all diagnostics datasets using several bioinformatic workflows.

It is our shared mission to improve clinical genetic care through implementation of technical developments and advancing genetic analysis. As researchers, we focus for example on the development of non-invasive prenatal tests, implementation of transcriptomics as a diagnostic tool and on developing methods to best exploit the impact of non-coding variation, now routinely uncovered by WGS and long-read sequencing, on human (monogenic) disease. We encourage a discovery-driven attitude and stimulate working in multidisciplinary teams. We are motivated to implement and exploit novel genetic diagnostics and research techniques, like long-read sequencing.