Postdoctoral Research Associate – Children’s Cancer Research Lab at USC
Position Description:
Postdoctoral research positions are available in the lab of Drs. Adam de Smith and Joseph Wiemels in the Center for Genetic Epidemiology, Department of Population and Public Health Sciences at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine. The lab uses cutting-edge epidemiological tools to investigate the causes of childhood leukemia, the most common cancer in children. In particular, we have a strong interest in using genomic, epigenomic, and other multi-omic strategies to understand the increased risk of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in individuals of self-reported Hispanic/Latino ethnicity, and the increased risk of acute leukemia in children with Down syndrome. We additionally explore the causes of other childhood cancers particularly pediatric gliomas where we focus on genetic and environmental exposures – particularly . Projects in childhood cancer also include our family-based cancer predisposition genetic analyses, and investigation of the role of cytomegalovirus in childhood ALL and outcomes.
The successful candidate will have opportunities to analyze large-scale germline genotyping data, as well as tumor whole-genome sequencing data from childhood leukemia patients to investigate the etiologic role of early-life environmental exposures and the prenatal origins of childhood leukemia, for example in our ReCord Study (https://record.umn.edu). Additional information about our lab and research can be found at: https://sites.usc.edu/childhoodcancer/.
The Center for Genetic Epidemiology (https://keck.usc.edu/genetic-epidemiology-center/) is closely linked with the Department of Population and Public Health Sciences , Translational Genomics, and Quantitative Computational Biology. The Department of Population and Public Health Sciences is one of the nation’s leading research programs in epidemiology and biostatistics, with particular expertise in genetics research in diverse populations, and offers exceptional resources and collaborative opportunities for postdoctoral fellows. In particular, we work closely with research groups focusing on genetic epidemiology, statistical and functional genomics, and population genetics.
Salary will be competitive. The University of Southern California offers a competitive benefits package including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment insurance, and short and long term disability insurance.
Qualifications:
- Doctoral degree in genetics, genetic epidemiology, biology, or a related discipline
- Experience in conducting human genetics research and analyzing large genetic datasets is preferred
- Proficiency in one or more programming languages is essential
To Apply:
Interested candidates can apply here, and submit the following:
- Cover letter
- Curriculum vitae
- Names of 2-3 references with contact information (email and phone number)
Informal inquiries are also welcome and should be addressed to Drs. Adam de Smith and Joseph Wiemels at: desmith@usc.edu or wiemels@usc.edu