[BBC] Postdoc in Computational Cancer Biology

[l.wessels at nki.nl]

POSTDOC IN COMPUTATIONAL CANCER BIOLOGY 


PROJECT OUTLINE

At the Netherlands Cancer Institute (NKI) several high throughput screens are performed, such as imaging-based high-content screens that aim to capture genotype-phenotype relations, and transposon reporter screens that are used to study the effect of chromatin organization on gene expression. Moreover, the size and number of publicly available datasets, such as ENCODE, TCGA and the drug screening datasets is increasing. 

In the Delft Bioinformatics Lab (bioinformatics.tudelft.nl) and the Computational Cancer Biology group at the NKI (ccb.nki.nl) we develop machine learning algorithms to extract biologically relevant structure from these data. However, integrally analyzing these heterogeneous data, while ensuring that the derived models remain amenable to biological interpretation is a major challenge. In this project we aim to develop machine learning based data integration algorithms that can deal with heterogeneous, partially unlabeled data. A special emphasis is placed on deriving models that are interpretable, thus maximizing the biological utility of such models. 

The successful candidate will 
- Be responsible for performing and supervising the research project;
- Act as a liaison between the TUDelft and the NKI with the aim of identifying synergies between these institutions and developing these projects further;
- Contribute to education at the BSc, MSc and PhD levels, as well as assist in the supervision of MSc and PhD students.


REQUIREMENTS

The candidates should have a strong computational background in bioinformatics or machine learning with a track-record in (cancer) genomics. The candidate must be able to work effectively in a multidisciplinary team environment and be able to partner with leading, worldwide institutions (university, government agencies, national labs, and professional organizations). The candidate must have exceptional communication skills, capable of interacting with peers and students and technical staff. 


EMPLOYER PROFILES

The Delft Bioinformatics Lab at the TUDelft develops computer algorithms to further fundamental biological knowledge, apply these to advance the state-of-the-art in health care and industry. To this end, we closely collaborate with researchers in molecular and cell biology, medicine and biotechnology.

The Computational Cancer Biology group at the NKI, focuses on developing novel computational approaches which exploit a wide variety of (high-throughput) data sources to further our basic understanding of cancer and to translate these findings to the clinic. 


CONTACT DETAILS

Please contact Lodewyk Wessels, tel. +31 20 512 7987 or e-mail: l.wessels at nki.nl. When applying please ensure you include a CV, list of publications and the names and addresses of at least two persons that can be approached to obtain further information. Also see ccb.nki.nl for further information.


CLOSING DATE: 1 MAY 2014