Junior Bioinformatician/Technician in Systems Immunology of Infectious Diseases
The Peters lab at the La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) is looking for a junior bioinformatician to join our funded efforts in profiling immune system responses for B. Pertussis following infection or vaccination. Qualified applicants will have multiple opportunities to collaborate with our interdisciplinary team of experimental and computational scientists working towards understanding, preventing, and curing infectious diseases. This position is expected to be filled by candidates holding a bachelor’s degree (or more) looking for advanced training positions.
Responsibilities:
Under the supervision of Drs. Pramod Shinde and Bjoern Peters, the Research Technician will assist in performing research in immunology/vaccine discovery. The Research Technician will assist in developing a multi-omics data integration pipeline that includes data curation, pre-processing, standardization, exploration, and participation in regular internal discussions and presentations.
How to apply: Interested candidates must include a cover letter describing why they are interested in this position. Applications without a cover letter included will not be reviewed.
Qualifications and Requirements:
- B.A./B.S. or higher in biological or computer sciences
- Proficiency in Python/R programming
- Knowledge of immunology is a plus
- Strong presentation and communication skills
- Positive attitude and ability to work as part of a team
Interested applicants, please submit the following in a single attachment:
- A brief cover letter relating how your talents fulfill the criteria for this position
- Your resume/CV
- A minimum of two references (three preferred)
About LJI: In 2021, for the 4th time, LJI was named a “Top Workplace” in San Diego County, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. LJI is located in the Science Research Park on the campus of UC San Diego, with easy access to the San Diego life sciences community and the La Jolla area. Full-time employment at LJI includes a competitive salary, medical/dental/vision benefits, paid vacation/sick leave, and contributions to a (403b) retirement plan.
Background: Pertussis: In the mid-1990s, concerns over vaccine-related side effects prompted the widespread replacement of the whole-cell Pertussis (wP) vaccine in favor of a safer acellular Pertussis (aP) vaccine. Recent years witnessed a worldwide reemergence of Pertussis (whooping cough) despite widespread vaccination. Our approach is to compare individuals born before 1995 and vaccinated in infancy with wP, with individuals born in 1996 or later and vaccinated with aP in infancy, thus directly studying the population and age group in which the increased disease incidence is noted. Our long-term goal is to identify the cascade of immune events following Pertussis booster vaccination/infection and to identify correlates of long-lasting vaccine-induced immunity.