Postdoctoral researcher in genetics and functional genomics

We are looking for a skilled postdoctoral fellow with a computational, mathematical, statistical,  and/or bioinformatic background in genetics and functional genomics at the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland  FIMM , Helsinki Institute of Life Science, HiLIFE in the research groups of Professor Aarno Palotie (Research Group Palotie ) and Dr. Olli Pietiläinen (Research Group Pietiläinen ). The position is part of research program that aims to discover biological mechanisms in schizophrenia and related neuropsychiatric disorders. The program bridges multidisciplinary group of researchers in the interface of genetic discoveries and multi-omic molecular biology using collections from over 500 000 genotyped participants from clinical and population studies with medical data. These include the FinnGen (https://www.finngen.fi/en)  and SUPER studies (https://www.superfinland.fi/english). The Palotie group applies modern large-scale genetic analysis approaches to discover genetic mechanisms in common diseases with focus on neurological, neurodevelopmental, and neuropsychiatric traits. Palotie leads major research efforts at the University of Helsinki and The Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. The Pietiläinen group combines state-of-art functional genomics and molecular cell biology approaches to understand how genetic risk factors identified in the disorders mediate their causative effects in human cells. The Pietiläinen laboratory is based at the Neuroscience Center and has close links with the Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard (https://www.broadinstitute.org/stanley). 

Role description:

We are seeking a postdoctoral researcher to work on a multidisciplinary project that utilizes genomic and medical registry data from over 500 000 individuals and a collection human induce pluripotent stem cells (iPSC) from genetically defined patients and controls.  With these resources our goal is to model genetic and cellular processes involved in neuropsychiatric disorders.  We are looking for a person for planning, conducting, and supervising multifaceted analysis of genetic and multi-omic data generated from the study participants and human cellular models, including RNA sequencing, and proteomics. 

Key Requirements

We are looking for a highly motivated and creative person with a primary interest in molecular genetics and genomics data analysis to discover mechanisms in neurological disorders, and to work in multidisciplinary team of clinical, wet lab, and computational scientists. Candidates should have a PhD in bioinformatics, statistical genetics, applied statistics or mathematics with experience in genetic and/or functional genomics data analysis. We require previous experience and skills in research computing in high-performance cluster computing environment and/or cloud computing. The ideal candidate will have experience in at least one of the aforementioned areas, and a strong interest in the others. Previous experience genetics of neuropsychiatric disorders  and/or genomic approaches of in cellular models  is considered an advantage. 

The position is available from May 2023 onwards, or earlier, if required. It is a two-year fixed-term position, with a possibility of extension. Trial period of 6 months will be applied. 

The salary will be in accordance with qualifications based on the Finnish university salary (YPJ) system depending on the credentials, previous experience and performance of the postdoctoral researcher. Normal starting salary is 3443-3621 euros.

Please submit your application via the University of Helsinki Recruitment System by clicking the ‘Apply for the position button’ below. If you need support with the recruitment system, please contact recruitment@helsinki.fi. 

Please attach the following documents to your application as a single PDF file:
- CV (including publications)
- cover letter (maximum 1 page) that details your past experience and motivation
- contact details of at least two references 

The deadline for applications is March 31st, 2023.  Interviews will be conducted either in person or online. For more information on the position, please contact Dr. Olli Pietiläinen (olli.pietilainen@helsinki.fi).

University of Helsinki 

The University of Helsinki (UH), founded in 1640, is a vibrant scientific community of 40,000 students and researchers. It is one of the leading multidisciplinary research universities and ranks among the top 100 international universities in the world. It is currently investing heavily in life sciences research. UH offers comprehensive services to its employees, including occupational health care and health insurance, sports facilities, and opportunities for professional development. 

Helsinki Institute of Life Science 

Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE) is a new 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. 

Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland

The Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM) is an international research unit focusing on human genomics and personalised medicine at the Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE) of the University of Helsinki - a leading Nordic university with a strong commitment to life science research. As part of Academic Medical Center Helsinki in Meilahti campus FIMM collaborates locally with the Faculty of Medicine, Helsinki University Hospital and National Institute for Health and Welfare. 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

HiLIFE -Neuroscience Center

The Neuroscience Center is an international research unit within Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE) of the University of Helsinki, a leading Nordic university with a strong commitment to life science research. The research focus of NC is on translational brain plasticity. We carry out research relevant for the human brain both in health and disease, and during development and aging, by applying versatile approaches and modern technology platforms. NC aims at making fundamental discoveries about brain functions and especially translate research findings into improvements in the treatment, prevention and diagnosis of psychiatric and neurological disorders. The research in NC spans across several scales from stem cell research and molecular neuroscience to systems and cognitive neuroscience in both animal and human models.The research groups of NC conduct research in neuroscience at the highest international level and actively apply the results for the benefit of the society. NC collaborates actively with other units of HiLIFE and faculties of the University of Helsinki, Helsinki University Central Hospital, and Neurocenter Finland.