HudsonAlpha - Computational Biologist I - Cochran Lab

HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology•Huntsville, AL

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology is a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing biotechnology and biological research to make significant discoveries, improve human health, foster economic development, and promote science education. Located in Huntsville, Alabama, the institute focuses on genomics, genetics, and personalized medicine. The J. Nicholas Cochran laboratory specifically investigates neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, using genomic approaches. This role supports collaborative research by implementing computational workflows and data analysis strategies to interpret biological data, particularly large datasets from genomics laboratories. The ideal candidate will be adept at constructing bioinformatics pipelines using Python, R, and bash, and comfortable working in both local and high-performance computing (HPC) and cloud environments.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree or master's degree in computational biology, bioinformatics, biostatistics, computer science, statistics, or related quantitative field.
0 to 3 years of experience in bioinformatics, computational biology, or related field (experience may include postgraduate research, internships, industry positions, or significant coursework projects).
Proficiency in Python and/or R and bash scripting.
Experience with version control systems (Git/GitHub).
Strong understanding of bioinformatics principles and proficiency in relevant computational tools.
Fluency with Unix/Linux command-line environments.
Ability to function in a high-performance computing (HPC) cluster environment.
Strong understanding of statistics and quantitative data analysis.
Proficient with Google Workspace and collaborative tools (Zoom, Slack, etc.).
Must be able to remain in a stationary position (sit or stand) for prolonged periods (50% of the time).
Frequently moving between work areas.
Frequently moving, transporting, and positioning materials up to 30 pounds.
Vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and depth perception.
Frequent operation of common office equipment (e.g. computers, mobile devices, calculators, copiers, scanners) and laboratory equipment.
Frequently position self (e.g. stoop, crouch, crawl, bend) and pull/push, grasp/squeeze, wrist flexion/extension, reach to operate and maintain laboratory equipment.
Continuous mental and visual attention, requiring sustained attention and observation.
Excellent fine motor skills and hand control in order to pipette accurately.
Ability to sustain focus during research procedures (to maintain protocol such as order of operations).
Ability to visually observe results and record outcomes on lab logs and/or PC.
Basic computer skills are required.
Extensive documentation skills, good attention to detail, and exceptional organizational skills are required.
Communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, in the English language.
Requires the ability to adapt to change efficiently.
Ability to independently lead and conduct research, and to evaluate, interpret and present complex scientific data.
Capacity to work productively within functionally diverse teams as well as collaborate with external investigators and partners in academic and industrial settings.
Ability to prioritize issues and use sound judgment to recognize when additional consultation and/or help is needed.
Comfortable working on multiple projects at one time.
Strong logical thinking and deduction skills.
Ability to effectively present ideas and information in a variety of formats to a wide range of audiences.
Positive, flexible, and professional attitude.

Nice To Haves

Subject area familiarity and/or interest in genetics, genomics, neuroscience, or neurodegenerative diseases is desirable.

Responsibilities

Perform data preprocessing, quality control, and analysis using established computational workflows.
Understand the biological science behind the laboratory projects.
Analyze genomic and transcriptomic data from neurodegenerative disease studies.
Process high-throughput sequencing data (RNA-seq, DNA-seq, ATAC-seq, single-cell sequencing).
Manage access, management, and processing for large biological datasets.
Assist in maintaining bioinformatics tools and pipelines to support research initiatives.
Construct and optimize bioinformatics workflows for genomic data analysis.
Collaborate with senior team members to troubleshoot data-related challenges and optimize workflows.
Implement version control practices (Git/GitHub) for collaborative code development.
Work with workflow management systems (Snakemake, Nextflow, WDL) as appropriate.
Collaborate with the research team to plan and execute computational applications.
Communicate technical findings clearly across teams and document methods for reproducibility.
Work with experimental biologists, clinicians, and other computational researchers.
Present analyses at lab meetings and research forums.
Contribute to peer-reviewed research papers.