Research Associate

Job Summary:

The Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome has an opening for a Bioinformatics Analyst / Data Scientist at the Research Associate level to work at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora.

The successful applicant will be an integral member of a collaborative team researching various aspects of Down syndrome using multiple omics-based approaches. Current areas of focus include:

1. The Human Trisome Project (www.trisome.org), a large cohort study designed to understand why individuals with Down syndrome have a different clinical risk profile compared to the typical population.
2. Studying the role of immune dysregulation and hyperactive interferon signaling in Down syndrome.
3. Understanding molecular and genomic features of co-occurring conditions in individuals with Down syndrome.

This position is responsible for performing rigorous analysis and integration of multiple -omics datasets in collaboration with other scientists on the team. The successful candidate will have extensive computational and analytical skills and a demonstrated ability perform the tasks outlined below.

The duties and responsibilities of the position include, but are not limited to:

• Working collaboratively with other members of the team to provide high-level, professional, and scientifically rigorous data management and bioinformatic analyses.
• Developing and implementing complex analysis pipelines, programming, and data visualization techniques for multi-layered -omics datasets with a particular focus on single cell RNAseq and CyTOF analysis of peripheral and tissue-resident innate and lymphoid immune cell populations. Application of these techniques for more broad analysis of the transcriptome, metabolome, proteome, and epigenome will also be expected.
• Creatively and effectively integrating data from multiple sources to accelerate discoveries.
• Thinking independently and creatively to identify and implement best-practice bioinformatic and data management solutions.
• Creating and disseminating tools for all team members to access relevant clinical and sample data.
• Collaborating with other team members to co-author abstracts, oral and poster presentations, and scientific manuscripts.

Work Location:

Remote - this role is eligible to work remotely, but the employee must be in the United States.

Why Join Us:

The Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome is the largest academic home for Down syndrome research. The Crnic Institute collaborates with prominent scientists and leaders around the globe to enable precision medicine approaches to improve health outcomes in Down syndrome. Learn more at: https://medschool.cuanschutz.edu/linda-crnic-institute.

Why work for the University?

We have AMAZING benefits and offer exceptional amounts of holiday, vacation and sick leave! The University of Colorado offers an excellent benefits package including:

• Medical: Multiple plan options
• Dental: Multiple plan options
• Additional Insurance: Disability, Life, Vision
• Retirement 401(a) Plan: Employer contributes 10% of your gross pay
• Paid Time Off: Accruals over the year
• Vacation Days: 22/year (maximum accrual 352 hours)
• Sick Days: 15/year (unlimited maximum accrual)
• Holiday Days: 10/year
• Tuition Benefit: Employees have access to this benefit on all CU campuses
• ECO Pass: Reduced rate RTD Bus and light rail service

There are many additional perks & programs with the CU Advantage.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:

The University of Colorado (CU) is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:

Applicants must meet minimum qualifications at the time of hire.

• Education: Ph.D. in Immunology, Bioinformatics, Molecular Biology, Computational Biology, or a related field such as Biostatistics.
• Experience: Three or more years of experience applying bioinformatic tools to next-generation sequencing data (e.g. RNA sequencing, ChIP-seq, microbiome) and/or related omics-level data.
• Special Skills: Strong programming skills in common languages/packages used for bioinformatic and statistical analysis and (e.g. R/Bioconductor/Tidyverse, Python, Perl).
• Special Skills: Strong knowledge of statistical principles relevant to biomedical research.

Preferred Qualifications

The following preferred qualifications will be highly valued in potential candidates:

• Experience working with complex high-dimensional data sets in the field of immunology, including scRNA-seq, CITE-seq, CyTOF, spacial transcriptomics, and spectral flow cytometry of immune cells subsets.
• Extensive knowledge of various immune cell subsets including myeloid cells, innate lymphoid cells, T cell subsets, and tissue-resident lymphoid cells.
• Special Skills: Strong knowledge of statistical principles relevant to biomedical research.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

To be successful in this position, candidates will need the following:

• Competency with UNIX-based command line tools and shell scripting.
• Experience running and troubleshooting jobs in high performance and/or cloud computing environments.
• Ability to analyze and solve complex problems and apply quantitative analytical approaches.
• Familiarity with principles of reproducible data analysis and good coding practice.
• Proven self-initiative and ability to catalyze new projects or ideas.
• Exceptional organizational and time management skills, ability to manage multiple projects and analysis requests.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, as evidenced by publications and/or presentations.
• Experience analyzing and mining clinical data, cancer genomics, and related data sets.
• Advanced statistical knowledge as applied to bioinformatics / genomics.

How to Apply:

For full consideration, please submit the following document(s):

1. A letter of interest describing relevant job experiences as they relate to listed job qualifications and interest in the position

2. Curriculum vitae / Resume

3. Five professional references including name, address, phone number (mobile number if appropriate), and email address

Applications are accepted electronically ONLY at www.cu.edu/cu-careers.

Questions should be directed to: Anne Fiala, anne.fiala@cuanschutz.edu

Screening of Applications Begins:

Immediately and continues until position is filled. For best consideration, apply by October 20, 2025

Anticipated Pay Range:

The starting salary range (or hiring range) for this position has been established as HIRING RANGE:

$62,000-$90,000

The above salary range (or hiring range) represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting. This position is not eligible for overtime compensation unless it is non-exempt.

Your total compensation goes beyond the number on your paycheck. The University of Colorado provides generous leave, health plans and retirement contributions that add to your bottom line.

Total Compensation Calculator: http://www.cu.edu/node/153125

ADA Statement:

The University will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants with disabilities throughout the employment application process. To request an accommodation pursuant to the Americans with Disabilities Act, please contact the Human Resources ADA Coordinator at hr.adacoordinator@ucdenver.edu.

Background Check Statement:

The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is dedicated to ensuring a safe and secure environment for our faculty, staff, students and visitors. To assist in achieving that goal, we conduct background investigations for all prospective employees.

Vaccination Statement:

CU Anschutz strongly encourages vaccination against the COVID-19 virus and other vaccine preventable diseases. If you work, visit, or volunteer in healthcare facilities or clinics operated by our affiliated hospital or clinical partners or by CU Anschutz, you will be required to comply with the vaccination and medical surveillance policies of the facilities or clinics where you work, visit, or volunteer, respectively. In addition, if you work in certain research areas or perform certain safety sensitive job duties, you must enroll in the occupational health medical surveillance program.