Bioinformatics scientist

Bioinformatics scientist

Category: Academic Staff & Researchers

1 - Working at the VUB

For already 50 years, the Vrije Universiteit Brussel has stood for freedom, equality and connectedness. These values are strongly present on our campuses, in our students as well as our staff. At the VUB, you'll find a diverse collection of personalities: pure innovators and especially people who are 100% their authentic selves. With about 3.500 employees , we are the largest Dutch-speaking employer in Brussels , an international city with which we are all too happy to be connected, and around which our four campuses are located.

Our education and research are grounded in the principles of free research with an eye on human progress. We disapprove of every purely authoritative argument and guarantee the free formation of judgement that is necessary for this basic principle to be incorporated in the community.

The VUB is autonomous and managed democratically. As such, we guarantee fundamental freedoms within our university, as well as the right of the university community to be involved in making and checking university policy.

The mission of the university includes:

the development, the transfer and the application of high-standing academic education and scientific research, free from any prejudice;

community integration of this in a spirit of social compassion;

critical development of everyone in light of the responsibilities borne in the community.

2 - Position description

The Faculteit Geneeskunde en Farmacie , Department Basis (bio)-medische wetenschappen , is looking for a postdoctoral researcher.

More concretely your work package contains:

The Oncology Research Center (ORC) of Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) is looking for a talented and enthusiastic bioinformatics scientist, who preferentially has obtained a PHD. The candidate will contribute to the ongoing and new projects in the ORC situated in cancer research , with focus on but not limited to tumour biology and its microenvironment, immune- oncology, tumour heterogeneity and plasticity. The ORC is situated on the medical campus of VUB in Jette. The ORC is a multi-disciplinary group in which basic, translational and clinical investigators from the VUB and UZ Brussel collaborate.

The candidate should have a strong knowledge in bioinformatics and interest in biological pathways relevant in cancer research. The candidate will actively contribute to cancer research by supporting data mining, bioinformatic analysis and interpretation of (single cell) (spatial) omics-data sets. The candidate should also autonomously consult public data sets and generate new insights relevant to the ongoing or new research projects at ORC. The candidate will do this in teamwork with the biomedical scientists and clinician scientists of the ORC-groups. The candidate will interact with other bio-informaticians within ORC and within the BrightCore Genomics Core Facility. After an induction period, there will the possibility to work part- time from home.

For this function, our Brussels Health Campus (Jette) will serve as your home base.

3 - Profile

What do we expect from you?

You preferentially hold a Ph.D. (obtained max. 6 years ago) or master in Bioinformatics (min. 2 years of relevant experience)

Your profile:

You preferentially hold a Ph.D. in a relevant domain (obtained max. 6 years ago). Or you have a master in bioinformatics and at least two years of relevant and demonstrated (e.g. via authorship on publications) experience in computer science or computational biology.

You have a strong knowledge in bioinformatics and a first experience in research on biological pathways relevant in cancer research.

A broad experience in bioinformatics and data-mining of large datasets including (epi)genomics and transcriptomics, bulk as well as single-cell sequencing data is required

Working proficiency in Python and R

You have a good background in Life Sciences

You have a first work or research experience in cancer research

Organized and respecting deadlines

Good knowledge of English (written and oral)

Motivated and enthusiastic researcher

You have the ability to work autonomously while having strong team player skills

Very good reporting and communication skills

Continuous learning is part of your mindset

4 - Offer

Are you going to be our new colleague?

You'll be offered a contract , for an assignment of 1 FTE , for 12 months (extendable, on condition of the positive evaluation of the research activities), with planned starting date 01/11/2023.

You'll receive a salary linked to one of the scales set by the government.

At the VUB, you're guaranteed an open, involved and diverse workplace where you are offered opportunities to (further) build on your career.

As well as this, you'll enjoy various benefits:

Full reimbursement for your home-work commute with public transport according to VUB-policy, or compensation if you come by bike;

Cost-free hospitalisation insurance ;

The space to form your job content and continuously learn via VUB LRN;

Excellent facilities for sport and exercise ;

Ecocheques ;

Delicious meals at attractive prices in our campus restaurants ;

An open, family-friendly work environment where attention is paid to work- life balance, and exceptional holiday arrangements with 35 days of leave (based on a fulltime contract).

5 - Interested?

Is this the job you've been dreaming of?

Send us ONLINE and at the latest on 18/09/2023 your CV, letter of motivation and the highest degree you've attained (not applicable for VUB alumni).

Do you have questions about the job content? Contact dr. Isabelle Houbracken at [email protected] or on (0486)40 71 57.

Would you like to know what it's like to work at the VUB? Go to www. vub.ac.be/vacatures and find all there is to know about our campuses, benefits, strategic goals and your future colleagues.