A postdoctoral training position is currently available in Dr. Gary H. Gibbons’ research program in the Metabolic, Cardiovascular and Inflammatory Disease Genomics Branch of the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI). The successful candidate will join Dr. Gibbons’ multi-disciplinary research team composed research fellows, staff and students with a range of expertise including: genetics, epidemiology, health disparities research, bioinformatics, systems biology, clinical science, computational biology and molecular medicine. The successful candidate will join an intellectually vibrant, interactive and collaborative community of investigators within our NHGRI Branch.
Dr. Gibbons’ research program is particularly interested in elucidating the systems biology, bio-social interactions and molecular networks that mediate the predisposition of individuals of African ancestry to cardio-metabolic disorders and cardiovascular complications (hypertension, obesity, cardiovascular disease, stroke). The conceptual framework of the program seeks to integrate a multi-level approach that incorporates both systems biology and a socio-ecologic model in understanding the multi-dimensional determinants of ancestry-related differences in health and disease. Several of the ongoing projects in Dr. Gibbons’ group include: 1) defining ancestry-related genetic variants associated with severe hypertension in African-Americans; 2) characterizing the bio-social determinants of the epigenome and transcriptome in African-Americans at risk for cardiovascular disease; and 3) defining the influence of psychosocial and environmental factors on the epigenome and transcriptome in African-Americans in health and disease. Our lab uses state-of-the-art high-throughput ‘Omic’ technologies in conjunction with our well phenotyped datasets of African-Americans to identify, categorize and evaluate genomic-phenomic relationships that contribute to race-ancestry differences in the prevalence, severity, and treatment responsiveness of minority populations at risk for cardiovascular disease.
The qualified candidates should be highly motivated and have a doctoral degree with research experience and training in the fields of: genetics, genetic epidemiology, statistical genetics, computational biology, systems biology, bioinformatics, molecular biology or related fields upon the start date in the lab. Previous post-doctoral research experience in these fields is desirable. The ideal candidate should have experience in analyzing high-throughput genomic data, next-generation sequencing pipelines, genotype-phenotype associations, and the application of state-of-the-art statistical methods. Prior experience using bioinformatics tools and/or computer programming skills is highly desirable. Applicants must possess good communication skills and be fluent in both spoken and written English.
Funding is available to support this position for up to five years. Salary is based on NIH standards. The candidate will have the opportunity to access many high throughput datasets, state-of-the-art core facilities and to interact with leading investigators at the National Institutes of Health and collaborators at other academic institutions.
Interested applicants should submit their curriculum vitae, a detailed letter of interest, and the names of three potential references to Dr. Gary H. Gibbons. Correspondence should be sent to his associate’s email address: adam.davis2@nih.gov
