Research Associate - Department of Microbiology and Immunology - Dr. Jesse Shapiro

POSITION DESCRIPTION

A position is available for a talented Research Associate to assist the in silico modelling and computational biology Pillar of the Coronavirus Rapid Response Network (covarrnet.ca) along with two NSERC Strategic grants supporting the development of technologies for wastewater-based epidemiology of antimicrobial resistance and new wastewater treatment processes using of anaerobic photoheretotrophs and infrared light. The CoVaRR-Net relies on synergies and efficient communications across all pillars, with other members of the scientific community and with government bodies, for rapid response to the emergence of new Variants of Concerns (VOCs) for SARS-CoV-2. The successful applicant will be based at McGill University in Montreal, with the possibility for remote work initially. The current funding allows for a contract of 1 year with possibility of renewal contingent on performance and funding.

The research associate will report to Dr. Jesse Shapiro at the McGill Genome Centre (www.shapirolab.ca) and Dr. Dominic Frigon in the Dept. of Civil Engineering, with about 50% effort devoted to each principal investigator. For these projects, the successful candidate will assist in the management of the research team and reporting to the stakeholders and the funding agency. They will also perform bioinformatics analyses for metagenomics data, and construct pipelines for the analyses of antimicrobial resistance genes. Additionally, they will participate in the training of graduate students participating to bioinformatics analyses.

JOB DUTIES

The successful candidate will:

• Be responsible for interaction with the project coordinators of the other pillars, and the extended CoVaRR-Net team.
• Assist in the management of the NSERC Strategic research team and reporting to the stakeholders and the funding agency
• Perform bioinformatics analyses for metagenomics data, and construct pipelines for the analyses of antimicrobial resistance genes.
• Participate in the training of graduate students participating to bioinformatics analyses
• Assist in the coordination/management of team meetings.
• Help coordinate and support research activities, including:
  • Conducting literature reviews,
  • Organizing and managing high-throughput sequence data on a computer cluster.
  • Routinely downloading and aligning viral genomes, and running phylogenetics pipelines (e.g. Nextstrain)
  • Conducting statistical analyses,
  • Interpreting data,
  • Assisting with manuscript preparation and editing.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

• Ph.D. in bioinformatics, genomics, computational/mathematical biology, or related field.
• Programming experience (R, python, etc.), high performance computing (inc. Linux), big data management
• Training and/or relevant experience in project management
• Must be able to exercise good judgment, exercise considerable independence,take initiative and possess  strong interpersonal skills
• Must possess exceptional communication skills (verbal, written and presentation) and be comfortable engaging and exchanging information with members of the network
• Proficiency in French an asset

Faculty/Department/Unit: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences – Department of Microbiology & Immunology - McGill Genome Centre
Position:  Research Associate

Salary:  Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience
Job Status: Full-time (35 hours/week)

Position Duration: 1 year (possibility of renewal contingent on performance and funding)

Start Date: As Soon As Possible

Location:  McGill’s Montreal Campus (possibility of remote working)

The following supporting documents are required:

• Cover letter & curriculum vitae (as 1 pdf document).

Use a personal email address when creating an account in Workday to submit your application. Do not use @mail.mcgill.ca or @mcgill.ca email accounts to apply.

Hourly Salary:

$39.22

Hours per Week:

35 (Full time)

Location:

Penfield 740

Supervisor:

Professor

Position Start Date:

10/04/2021

Position End Date:

10/03/2022

Deadline to Apply:

McGill University hires on the basis of merit and is strongly committed to equity and diversity within its community. We welcome applications from racialized persons/visible minorities, women, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, as well as from all qualified candidates with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with diverse communities. McGill implements an employment equity program and encourages members of designated groups to self-identify. Persons with disabilities who anticipate needing accommodations for any part of the application process may contact, in confidence, [email protected] .