Research assistant in data science and psychiatric genomics

Do you want to contribute to top quality medical research?

We seek a new research assistant who will work in the KI-Psychiatric Genomics Institute (KI-PGI), led by Prof Patrick Sullivan. The KI-PGI is a research program within the Department of Medical
Epidemiology and Biostatistics (MEB) with 10 year funding from the Swedish Research Council. The
KI-PGI begins with fundamental genomic findings and then elucidates the implications for patients,
clinicians, and neuroscientists. Prof. Sullivan leads the worldwide collaboration Psychiatric Genomics
Consortium https://www.med.unc.edu/pgc/, which is one of the most innovative and productive research efforts in the history of psychiatry. We are deeply collaborative, and in addition to the 150+ institutions involved in the PGC, we actively work with at least 10 major genetic, psychiatric, neuroscience, and functional genomic groups. We have established, long term collaborations within the KI, Sweden, Europe, the US, and Australia. We have multiple large new datasets. These recent papers describe our efforts in psychiatric genomics (Nat. Genet 2020), functional genomics, identification of brain cell types for schizophrenia (initial study and replication)(Nat. Genet. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-018-0129-5, https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-020-0610-9), the work of the PGC, and reviews for the field (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0092867419300480?via=ihub). These are only a subset of efforts now underway.

The overarching goals of the KI-PGI are: on a population scale, how do genes and environment act and interact to modify risk for severe psychiatric disorders (e.g. schizophrenia and severe major depressive disorder)? By what molecular and cellular mechanisms do these genes act? We have data from large casecontrol studies of schizophrenia, and all subjects have been comprehensively evaluated with genomewide SNP arrays, analysis of copy number variants(CNVs), and whole exome and whole genome sequencing, as well as comprehensive national health register data. Larger studies are in progress including expansion of the Swedish Schizophrenia Study (S3), Genomic Aggregation Project in Sweden (GAPS), and TRYGGVE2 (an effort to harmonize psychiatric genomics and national register data in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden). These studies are funded by major research funding from Swedish Research Council, NIH/NIMH, and EU Horizon 2020.

Your mission

We seek an outstanding and innovative person to join our team. We are data-rich, and need a
professional-level data scientist to maximize our understanding of the data we have collected and to
identify new data that we need to make. This individual should be passionately committed to furthering knowledge of severe psychiatric disorders in order to improve the lives of people. The successful applicant will join the KI-PGI team and conduct research on the genomics and functional genomics of severe psychiatric disorders leveraging “multi-omic” approaches and/or ML approaches to highdimensional and complex register data.

This is a position of 3 months with possibility of extension. Questions regarding the role, please contact Lu Yi. Contact information can be found below.

Your profile

• Applicants should have a MSc in computer science, physics, mathematics, engineering, biostatistics, or genetics. We will consider those with equivalent degree in other areas but who have advanced/relevant data science skills (e.g., machine learning).
• Applicants should have substantial prior experience in professional analysis of multiple types of
modern genomic and functional genomic datasets. These might include: GWAS, exome sequencing,
whole genome sequencing, RNA-sequencing.
• Modern genomics requires advanced skills in programming (e.g., R, python, SAS), use of standard
software packages (e.g., PLINK, GATK), flexibly manipulating large datasets, bioinformatic
integration, and pathway analysis.
• Knowledge of complex trait genomics is very important. Knowledge of psychiatric genomics is
helpful but can be taught if required.
• Applicants should be highly collegial and experienced in working effectively in “team science”
contexts as well as independently.
• Successful Sullivan team members possess exceptional organizational skills and know how to
multitask and solve complex problems.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English are required, along with ample
experience with scientific writing.

What do we offer?

Karolinska Institutet is one of the world's leading medical universities. Our vision is to pursue the development of knowledge about life and to promote better health for all. At Karolinska Institutet, we conduct innovative medical research and provide the largest range of biomedical education in Sweden. Karolinska Institutet is a state university, which entitles employees to several benefits such as extended holiday and a generous occupational pension. Employees also have free access to our modern gym and receive reimbursements for medical care.

Location: Solna

Application

Welcome to apply!

The application is to be submitted through the Varbi recruitment system.

Permanent position is initiated by a six months trial period.

Want to make a difference? Join us and contribute to better health for all