JOB: Postdoc in statistical genetics at Trinity College Dublin

POSTDOCTORAL RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP
Trinity College Dublin, Ireland

We are inviting applications for a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in Statistical Genetics or related fields to work on the project:

Investigating the Parental Role in Autism Spectrum Disorder through Rare and Common Sources of Variation.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is known to be heritable. The disorder affects approximately 1{06fdc68f0c32a4bb4bc587245a8893a97471dc602b4e431d14a97651d507d6d7} of the population and presents significant challenges for those affected and their families. ASD is not caused by a single gene mutation, but rather the effects of a number of genes contribute to the disorder. In the majority of cases though, no genetic cause has been identified. In general, when genetic material is passed from parents to their offspring the material functions regardless of its parental origin, but in some instances this is not the case and how the genetic material behaves is dependent on its parental origin. Evidence suggests that these parent-of-origin effects are present in ASD and the aim of this project is to investigate these effects.

Advances in technology have resulted in Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) data becoming available that consists of both rare and common sources of variation in the genome. This data offers promising avenues for identification of the underlying genetic causes of ASD. Through an investigation of rare and common sources of parent-of-origin effects, we will explore the parental genetic role in ASD. In this project Bayesian statistical methods, that can incorporate prior information, will be developed to investigate rare and common inherited variation for parent-of-origin effects. These statistical methods will be applied to selected regions of the genome in ASD NGS datasets in order to further the understanding of the genetic mechanisms underlying ASD. This research has the potential to shed light on the missing heritability in ASD and ultimately offer insights into the genetic causes of ASD which will help improve ASD diagnoses and lead to advances in treatments. See also: https://jobs.tcd.ie/

Candidate
The ideal candidate will have, or be about to be awarded, a PhD in statistical genetics, biostatistics, bioinformatics, computational biology or a related discipline together with previous experience in developing and applying Bayesian statistical models and handling large datasets. The successful candidate will join a highly interdisciplinary team in the Dept. of Psychiatry, Trinity College Dublin.

Duration and Salary

The position is for a duration of 15 months. Starting salary at IUA Postdoctoral Researcher Level 2, Point 1, gross salary: 33,975 euro.

Closing Date

The closing date for applications is the 2nd of June, 2017.

To Apply

Please send a CV to include the names and contact details of 3 referees together with a cover letter to Dr Eleisa Heron, eaheron@tcd.ie. Informal inquiries can also be addressed to Dr Eleisa Heron.