Bioinformatician, iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine project for molecular tumor board reporting – University of Helsinki
4.3.2023The University of Helsinki is currently seeking a
Bioinformatician
to join the iCAN Digital Precision Cancer Medicine project at the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), the leading precision cancer medicine research unit in Finland.
iCAN is part of the Academy of Finland Flagship Programme and hosted by the University of Helsinki and HUS Helsinki University Hospital. iCAN is an innovative multidisciplinary initiative that brings together some of the world’s leading actors in cancer genomics, translational and clinical cancer research, digital health, information technology, machine learning, patients and business to solve one of the most pressing challenges in healthcare – cancer.
An integral part of the iCAN project is the development of the iCAN Discovery Platform to store, integrate and analyze precision cancer medicine data. On the platform, we will be developing tools that efficiently use this data in research with the help of state-of-the-art methods in artificial intelligence and machine learning. This way we aim to reach a new level in understanding the cross-talk between the tumor and the host. Our research projects leverage the iCAN Discovery Platform to identify new, actionable targets and solutions for diagnosing and treating cancer.
FIMM (HiLIFE, UH) is a translational research institute with a driving mission to perform innovative research on patients and populations – utilizing molecular, genomic and health data – targeted towards understanding drivers of health and disease and delivering improvements to the safety, efficacy and efficiency of healthcare in Finland and beyond. FIMM integrates molecular medicine research, technology centre and biobanking infrastructures under one roof, promoting translational research in grand challenge projects, specifically, the impact of genome information from the Finnish population in personalised health and medicine, individualised cancer medicine, and digital molecular medicine. FIMM is part of the Nordic EMBL Partnership for Molecular Medicine, composed of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and the centres for molecular medicine in Norway, Sweden and Denmark, and the EU-LIFE Community.
Our work in cancer research may be complex, but our goal is simple: enable better outcomes and quality of life for cancer patients.
We are now looking for a bioinformatician with experience in omics data analysis and clinical data integration to work with the iCAN Data Team and the different subprojects of the ICAN Flagship. Our multidisciplinary teams work closely with clinicians at the hospitals, and our aim is to integrate the collected clinical and omics data, from e.g. high-throughput drug testing, bulk and single-cell DNA/RNA sequencing, microscopic imaging, metabolomics and pharmacogenomics, into an analysis platform to enable cutting-edge cancer research and robust translation back to the clinics for the patient’s benefit.
Specifically, we aim to develop an “integrative Molecular Tumor Board” (iMTB) reporting system to i) identify for each patient the really clinically relevant and actionable results and ii) present these in a concise and well-structured report to both researchers and clinicians. By supporting both immediate treatment decisions in the clinic as well as detailed follow-up research to advance our general understanding of cancer, we aim to drive a real and lasting impact on cancer patient care.
As a Bioinformatician, depending on your profile and experience, you will have the opportunity to
- As a member of the iCAN data team, build the iCAN Discovery Platform and envisioned iMTB reporting tool to enable the integration of clinical and research data, in close collaboration with treating clinicians and cancer researchers
- Develop computational pipelines to process and analyze molecular profiling and imaging data for digital precision cancer medicine
- Design best practices for how to organize and manage complex, heterogeneous data in clinical and research settings
- Implement harmonization of data sources, pipelines and analytical methods
- Be a part of revolutionizing data-driven precision cancer medicine
Qualifications:
- PhD or MSc degree in bioinformatics, computer science or engineering, data science, computational biology, or a related field
- Proficiency in R, Python and shell programming
- Understanding of database fundamentals
- Experience in next-generation sequencing data analysis software, Azure Cloud Services and Azure Machine Learning will be considered an asset
- Experience with other types of omics/molecular profiling, clinical data analysis and integration will be considered an asset
- Excellent oral and written communication skills in English; Finnish skills will be considered an asset but are not required- they will facilitate the handling of clinical data (available only in Finnish)
- Ability to work as a part of an interdisciplinary team
The salary will be commensurate with qualifications based on the Finnish university salary (YPJ) system on previous qualifications, experience and performance in the position. The contract will be offered initially until the end of 2024. A six-month trial period will be applied.
To apply, please submit the application together with your CV and a cover letter highlighting your relevant experience through the University of Helsinki electronic recruitment system by clicking on Apply for job.
Applications are welcomed as soon as possible – the call will be open until 15th of March, 2023, and may be extended until the hiring decision is made.
For further information please visit https://ican.fi or contact Dr. Tamara J. Luck (tamara.luck@helsinki.fi) or Dr. Vilja Pietiäinen (vilja.pietiainen@helsinki.fi).
Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE) is an institute established in 2017 that supports high quality life science research across the University campuses and faculties. HiLIFE builds on existing strengths and new recruits and partnerships to create an attractive international environment for researchers to solve grand challenges in health, food, and environment. HiLIFE coordinates research infrastructures in life sciences and provides research-based interdisciplinary training.
The University of Helsinki, founded in 1640, is one of the world’s leading universities for multidisciplinary research. The university has an international academic community of 40,000 students and staff members. The University of Helsinki offers comprehensive services to its employees, including occupational health care and health insurance, sports facilities, and professional development opportunities. The International Staff Services office assists employees from abroad with their transition to work and life in Finland.
Finland is a member of the EU, has high quality free schooling (also in English), generous family benefits and healthcare, and was recently ranked as the best country in the world for expat families and in the world’s top ten most livable cities. Finland and the Helsinki region possess top expertise in sciences in terms of a vibrant talent pool, leading research, strong support services and functioning collaboration networks. For more information about working at the University of Helsinki and living in Finland, please see helsinki.fi/en/university/working-at-the-university.