Details

　　Title Postdoctoral Fellow

　　School Faculty of Arts and Sciences

　　Department/Area Molecular and Cellular Biology

　　Position Description

　　The team of Elena Rivas has a postdoctoral position available in the department of Molecular and Cellular Biology at Harvard University. We are seeking postdocs in computational biology with an interest in creating new methods for the identification and characterization of structural RNAs with an emphasis in identifying structured RNAs associated with particular sets of RNA binding proteins.

　　Our group works on methods to identify and characterize structured RNAs. We have developed computational methods such as R-scape and CaCoFold that use comparative genomic signals of conservation, variation and covariation gathered over evolutionary history to identify biologically relevant conserved RNA structures with specificity and to distinguish them from other transcripts. The lab is working in developing new methods taking advantage of recent machine learning advantages, as well as in using our existing methods to explore genomes of interest to discover yet unknown structural RNAs and functions mediated by structured RNAs. We have a NSF grant in collaboration with three other groups: Mitch Guttman (Caltech), Dave Hendrix ( OSU ) and Anton Petrov (Georgia Tech) to identify novel functional structured RNA classes by computationally integrating massive-parallel RBP binding and structure data that would support this project.

　　The project requires extensive knowledge of RNA structure, as well as excellent programming skills preferable with knowledge of open-source machine learning frameworks such as Pytorch and C.

　　The position is available any time after January 1, 2024.

　　Basic Qualifications

　　A Ph.D. is required. Optimal candidates will have a deep understanding of methods for the computational analysis of RNA 3D structure. Candidates are expected to carry an independent research program, as there will be ample room for following your own ideas. Candidates from diverse and non-traditional backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

　　Additional Qualifications

　　Special Instructions

　　Letters of recommendation are not required at the time of application; however, letters will be collected for finalists. Candidates should submit with their application contact information for three references from experts at the ladder faculty ranks or highly accomplished senior researchers from corporations or research institutes.

　　Please include the following items as part of your application:

　　Cover letter

　　Curriculum Vitae

　　Name and contact information for 3 references.

　　Contact Information

　　Dr. Elena Rivas

　　Northwest Lab Building

　　52 Oxford Street

　　Cambridge, MA 02138

　　Debra Maddalena (Administrator)

　　[email protected]

　　Contact Email [email protected]

　　Equal Opportunity Employer

　　We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions or any other characteristic protected by law.

　　Minimum Number of References Required 3

　　Maximum Number of References Allowed 3

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　　Supplemental Questions