Bioinformaticians for Social and Health Inequalities program

New Research program for Social and Health Inequalities at the University of Helsinki, Department of Public Health is recruiting two bioinformaticians 

The newly founded research program uses large epidemiological and social care registries with cutting edge genetic, proteomics and metabolomics data to understand and reduce social inequalities in health. In the program we will perform randomized control trials aimed at reducing health inequalities and work closely with clinicians, and other health and social care professional. National collaborators include Finnish Institute for molecular medicine, Department of Public Health at the University of Helsinki, the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, and Helsinki University Central Hospital. International collaborators include leading institutes such as The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, University College London and INSERM.

Your research will be part of international research projects that examine novel drug targets for major chronic conditions, such as dementia and cardiovascular disease, improve risk estimation of vulnerable and high-risk individuals, study childhood determinants of inequalities, and design randomized control trials that test the theory in practice. The research is highly computational and covers methodologies from conventional and genetic epidemiology as well as from proteomics and single-cell data analyses.

In this post you are expected to
•    Perform computational analyses on large registry and omics data
•    Publish your research, code and data
•    Participate in writing funding and biobank applications
•    Participate in creating a supportive, stimulating and friendly research environment.
•    Present your work to research community

•    The chosen applicant is expected to reside in Finland while employed by the University of Helsinki

Qualification and experience:

The successful candidate should
•    Hold a Master´s or PhD degree in computational biology, bioinformatics, genetics, epidemiology, medicine, or other relevant field
•    Have experience in epidemiology, bioinformatics and/or genetic epidemiology
•    Strong R, Python, or equivalent programming skills
•    Be fluent in English, have good interpersonal and communication skills and be able to work independently as well as within a team
•    Have good problem-solving and analytical skills
•    In addition experience in computational genomics such as GWAS and polygenic risk score analyses is considered an advantage

For further information please contact A/Professor Joni Lindbohm (joni.lindbohm(at) helsinki.fi).

Why choose Finland and the University of Helsinki? Finland is the happiest country in the world, six times in a row! The University of Helsinki is a community of research, learning and bold thinking. We work to solve the big challenges of the world through interdisciplinary research, curiosity and cooperation. Together, for the world! We employ ca 8,000 experts of teaching and research, as well as various specialists and support staff. We value responsibility and want to be the best possible employer for our staff.

Salary and contract:

The salary will be commensurate with qualifications based on the university salary system (for a bioinformatician starting typically between 3000€ and 3500€ / month). A contract will be offered initially for two years. Extension beyond this is possible depending on the availability of funding. A six-month trial period will be applied.

Please submit your application via the University of Helsinki Recruitment System by clicking the ‘Apply now' button. Please send your application including motivation letter and CV, including list of publications and contact information for two references, as a single pdf file.

For information on the recruitment process, please contact HR Specialist Anni Korjo (hr-ltdk(at) helsinki.fi).

Please apply no later than 14 September 2023. The employment may begin as soon as possible.

Applicants of any gender, linguistic and cultural background or from members of minority groups are welcomed. You can read more about working at the university on our website.

The Faculty of Medicine promotes high quality scientific research. It provides research-based undergraduate and postgraduate education in medicine, dentistry, psychology and logopedics, and an international Master's Programme in Translational Medicine. It also offers psychotherapist education. In addition to its teaching and research activities, the faculty serves as a significant expert organisation in the healthcare sector and contributes to the discourse on ethics in the field. The faculty aims to be one of the best medical research faculties in the world, while reinforcing its status as a distinguished institution of multidisciplinary education in healthcare.

The Faculty of Medicine at the University of Helsinki constitutes the academic medical centre together with HUS Helsinki University Hospital and the Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE). This medical centre has been successful in international comparisons, ranking among the top 10 medical campuses in Europe and the top 50 globally.