Scope / Purpose of Job:
The Research Associate/Post-doctoral Scientist will lead biomarker discovery projects using bioinformatics analysis of clinical and genomics data from breast cancer and other cancer types, with a focus on developing and integrating new AI-powered methodologies. Additionally, the employee will also assist the team in the execution of other research programs that utilize bioinformatics and computational methods to enable and improve precision medicine for Asian cancer patients, with the ultimate goal of improving treatment outcomes and survivorship. These research programs include the bioinformatics processing of large-scale genomics sequencing data from tumours, genomics data management using cloud computing infrastructure, drug target selection, studies of germline variation and the tumour microenvironment, and analysis of tumour images using machine learning.
Roles and responsibilities include:
1) To lead a bioinformatics study of predictive and prognostic biomarkers of breast and other cancers common in Malaysia using multi-modal integrative artificial intelligence and machine learning.
2) To design and construct genomics and machine learning pipelines to process and analyze genomics and clinical data
3) To perform long-range transfer of genomics data, verify the integrity of the transferred data, as well as perform primary processing and data cleaning
4) To load data into established genomics and machine learning pipelines according to study specifications
5) To lead and perform validation experiments as necessary
6) To write up the results of the research in high-impact scientific journals
7) To maintain and refactor code with proper documentation
8) To communicate project or test results effectively
9) To resolve problems and to work towards timely and high-quality project completion
10) To assist internal stakeholders to meet external and internal milestones, and to be responsible for drafting and submitting necessary reports
QUALIFICATIONS/REQUIREMENTS
1. PhD degree qualification in a related biological discipline. Relevant fields include computational biology, bioinformatics, cancer biology, biotechnology, and genetics. Candidates who are close to completing their PhD (i.e. thesis submitted and waiting for viva, or post-viva and pending final certification) will also be considered.
2. Proficiency with the Linux operating system as an administrator.
3. Experience with programming languages such as R or Python.
4. Experience with Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform, or other Cloud infrastructure technologies is a plus.
5. Experience with genomics and transcriptomics data analysis and manipulation is a plus. Other Requirements:
- Fluent in English
- The ability to prioritize own workload and work to deadlines
- Adopts a pro-active attitude to work
APPLYAbout the Company
Cancer Research Malaysia
We are an independent and non-profit cancer research organisation based in Malaysia. Funded by donations and research grants, we conduct research in niche cancers often found in our Asian population.
Cancer — the big ‘C’ — continues to be a stigma, only spoken about in hushed whispers; how it’s bad karma, how much it costs, and that nothing could be done.
Confronting this stigma head on, CRM has been reversing this language of cancer, transforming the big ‘C’ to a little ‘c’, and we plan to develop tools backed by good research to ensure that we can truly fight cancer on all fronts.
We believe that we will reverse the grip of cancer in our lives. We want researchers to win the war against cancer by turning it around with new ways of prevention and cure. We want to empower the public through impactful outreach programmes, with the hopes that Malaysians will respond differently to cancer by coming forward for screenings and going through with treatments.
Our driving force is held together by these goals:
- Improving the survival rates of Asian cancer patients, focusing on neglected areas of research.
- Empowering Asians to have the proper screening and treatment.
- Improving survival rates by being more accessible, focusing on providing existing cures to patients rather than sit on inaction and potentially losing lives.
- Making affordable and timely treatments by repurposing drugs, acknowledging the reality that developing new cures are costly and risky.
- Putting Malaysia in the global spotlight for cancer research by collaborating with top scientists around the world,and working to nurture the next generation of Malaysian cancer researchers.