Two specialist positions as researchers in Bioinformatics or Data ...

Skilled and committed employees are a crucial factor in the success of Linköping University. And we need more of them. Our core expertise comes from teachers and researchers, but a successful university requires experienced and motivated employees in many fields. Everyone is important. We need to recruit many new employees thanks to, among all, an expansion in our research activity. We need you here. We look forward to receiving your application!

The Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology conducts research and offers education at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. Research, the predominant activity, is often done in collaboration with corporate and international partners. We are one of the university’s largest, oldest and most well known departments, encompassing five interacting scientific fields: biology, chemistry, material physics, applied physics and theory and modelling.
Read more at https://liu.se/en/organisation/liu/ifm

The research group of Dr Nicholas Pearce is looking to recruit two Postdocs in the field of structural biology/structural bioinformatics (see also position IFM-2022-00588).

Work assignments
In this position, you will develop statistical and machine learning approaches to characterize and quantify flexibility in macromolecular atomic models determined by cryo-EM and crystallography experiments. Using Swedish & SciLifeLab national computing infrastructure, you will apply these methods at scale to structures in the PDB, to build a publicly-accessible open database and study experimental flexibility in relation to molecular function.

As postdoc, you will principally carry out research. A certain amount of teaching may be part of your duties, up to a maximum of 20% of working hours.

The workplace
In the Data-Driven Determination of Macromolecular Structures (d3ms) group at Linköping University, we develop data-driven methodologies for determining and analysing macromolecular structures, focussing on structural disorder and dynamics in the context of biomedical applications. One of our primary focuses is the development of multi-dataset and integrative approaches which take advantage of ever-increasing data-collection capacities in both crystallographic and cryoEM experiments. This subject area means we use a variety of statistical, data science & machine learning approaches. We work with collaborators all over the world to apply our methods to cutting-edge research projects and experimental data, and believe in developing generally-applicable open tools and packages that can be taken up by the wider scientific community. As part of the d3ms group, you will be a part of a multidisciplinary and collaborative research group breaking new ground in structural biology.

We are based in the bioinformatics division within the department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology (IFM) at Linköping University. Our research group is part of the Data-Driven Life Sciences (DDLS) program and the SciLifeLab national network, providing access to national computational resources, expertise and training opportunities. The location of the Swedish national supercomputer centre on the Linköping university campus provides additional access to computational resources.

The SciLifeLab and Wallenberg National Program for Data-Driven Life Science (DDLS) is a 12-year initiative funded with a total of 3,1 billion SEK (~300M€) from the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation. The purpose of the program is to recruit and train the next-generation of data-driven life scientists and to create globally leading computational and data science capabilities in life science in Sweden. The program is coordinated by SciLifeLab, a nationwide research infrastructure and a hub for cross-disciplinary life sciences. The DDLS program promotes collaborative interdisciplinary work and engagement with industry, healthcare and other national and international partners, such as WASP, with the aim of bridging the life science and data science communities.

Qualifications
To be qualified to take employment as postdoc, you must have been awarded a doctoral degree or have a foreign degree that is deemed to be equivalent to a doctoral degree.  This degree must have been awarded at the latest by the point at which LiU makes its decision to employ you.

It is considered advantageous if your doctoral degree is no older than three years at application deadline for this job. If there are special reasons for having an older doctoral degree – such as taking statutory leave – then these may be taken into consideration.

Experience with programming and data analysis (preferably in python), and/or with macromolecular structure analysis is highly beneficial. All additional necessary training will be provided through courses either within Linköping University or through the SciLifeLab network.

Scientific curiosity and the ability to think independently are essential personal qualities in a candidate. You will be expected to engage with colleagues and cooperate in supporting the activities of the research group. You must also have excellent oral and written communication skills in English.

We are looking for enthusiastic outgoing people to join our interdisciplinary research group and encourage applications from all personal and scientific backgrounds. You should enjoy working as part of a team, and be willing to learn from your co-workers and to share your knowledge and experience with them in return. You will also be encouraged to contribute to the training of junior group members and collaborate with other group members on different projects. 

Motivate in your cover letter why you are interested in the role.

You should not hesitate to get in touch if you have questions about an application, for example regarding eligibility/suitability for the role (see contact details below).

About this job
This post is a temporary contract of two years with the possibility of extension up to a total maximum of three years. The position as a postdoc is full-time.

Nicholas Pearce

Assistant Professor

[email protected]