Postdoctoral position available at Rice University

[Lydia Kavraki]

Postdoctoral research position available in metagenomics and protein structure prediction

One postdoctoral fellow position is immediately available in the Kavraki lab (https://www.kavrakilab.org/) and Treangen lab (https://www.treangenlab.com) within Rice University’s Department of Computer Science (https://csweb.rice.edu).

Recent advances in AI have profoundly impacted fundamental tasks and research questions across the biological sciences (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35365602/). We are witnessing a revolution in our ability to predict protein structure directly from genomic and metagenomic data. DeepMind and Meta AI have created the first databases that reveal the structures of the genomic and metagenomic datasets at the scale of 220 and 600 million proteins, respectively (https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.07.20.500902v2, and https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-021-03819-2).

This is a joint hire across the Kavraki and Treangen labs. We are specifically looking for a candidate who can contribute to developing novel algorithms and computational tools for metagenomic protein structure analysis and functional annotation within the context of improved approaches for characterizing pathogens within the environment.

The candidate will be based in the George R. Brown School of Engineering at Rice University, which is strongly committed to nurturing the aspirations of faculty, staff, and students in an inclusive environment. Salary will be commensurate with experience and following current NIH Fellowship and Training Stipend Levels (https://www.niaid.nih.gov/grants-contracts/salary-cap-stipends).

The candidate will also work closely with collaborators of the groups at the Texas Medical Center, the largest medical complex in the world. Rice University is an equal opportunity employer and a Tier 1 Research University located in the vibrant urban setting of Houston, TX, the fourth largest city in the US. Rice is consistently ranked in the top 20 National Universities by US News, #6 Best Colleges in the US by Niche, and #1 for Quality of Life by the Princeton Review.

To apply, please send a CV and a short research statement (1 to 2 pages) to Professors Lydia Kavraki (kav...@rice.edu) and Todd Treangen (trea...@rice.edu), along with the names of three references. The position is open immediately, and applications will be considered until the position is filled.

Minimum Education Required

• Ph.D. or equivalent doctorate

Specify Major/Discipline

• Computer science, bioinformatics, or related field

Minimum Skills Required

• Programming proficiency in at least one of C/C++, Python, Perl, or Java

• Knowledge of machine learning approaches

• Knowledge of modern research methods, data collection, and analyses

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, as well as oral presentation skills

• Organization and time management skills

• Ability to work in a collaborative environment

• Ability to work independently and professionally with minimal supervision and direction

Experience Preferred

• Experience with the analysis of DNA sequence data and genomic datasets

• Experience developing deep learning methods

• Experience developing or using tools that consider protein structure (e.g., docking, molecular dynamics simulations, homology modeling, protein structure prediction through AlphaFold, etc.).
  

Essential Functions

• Investigates novel techniques for multiple sequence alignment and protein structure prediction of microbial genomes

• Studies metagenomic data via available computational tools

• Focuses on combining machine learning with mathematical modeling and comparative genomics for improved functional characterization of pathogens

• Develops, implements, documents, and maintains bioinformatics software

• Writes papers and publishes in computational biology conferences and journals

• Performs all other duties as assigned

Rice University is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to diversity at all levels and considers for employment qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status.

Current Rice University COVID policies, which include vaccination, face mask, testing, gatherings, occupancy limits, and travel policies, can be found here: https://coronavirus.rice.edu/policies