Position title: Research Officer – Bioinformatics of Speech Disorders

Employer: Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research

Closing date: 5:00pm, Friday 1st March 2019

Brief position description: An opportunity exists for a Research Officer specialising in the genetics of speech disorders to join the Bahlo laboratory. The successful candidate will join an international collaboration between speech pathologists, geneticists, imaging and bioinformatics experts.

About the position:
The appointee will undertake bioinformatics analyses of genetic data generated for family and cohort studies in speech disorders, interacting with genetic, clinical and imaging experts involved in understanding the speech phenotypes in the patients. The data will be primarily next generation sequencing data from whole-exome, whole-genome sequencing or targeted sequencing of cohort and family-based studies. The research officer will oversee several exciting studies, analysing data, analysing and managing the research outcomes from these projects. The research officer will also integrate with other work in the Bahlo laboratory to apply novel methods for prioritisation of putative speech disorder candidate genes, which can be assessed in large national and international cohorts. The work is highly likely to lead to high-impact publications with the expectation of presentations at national and international conferences. The research officer will use advanced bioinformatics tools developed at the WEHI and elsewhere and will have access to high quality computing facilities.

Selection Criteria:
Applicants with a PhD in a relevant discipline are welcome to apply. Relevant disciplines include computer science, mathematics, statistics, computational biology or genetics. Applicants need to have extensive experience in the analysis of next generation sequencing data and a good understanding of genetics with a proven research track record of publications. Experience in speech disorder genetic research is desirable, but not essential. The position requires high-level project-management skills, strong programming and data analysis skills and, in particular strong communication skills to ensure excellent communication as a key person working between the two laboratories.

Terms of appointment: 
The positions will be for 2 years in the first instance. Salary is dependent upon qualifications and experience. Up to 17% superannuation and attractive salary packaging options are available.

Job website: http://www.wehi.edu.au/research-officer-%E2%80%93-bioinformatics-speech-disorders

Contact name: Melanie Bahlo

Contact email: bahlo@wehi.edu.au