3 Ph.D. POSITIONS IN SYSTEMS BIOLOGY
Three Ph.D. positions are available in the Department of Animal and Rangeland Sciences, Oregon State University, in the area of systems biology with particular emphasis on development of bioinformatics tools and use of systems biology approach to functional analysis of omics data from experiments performed mainly in livestock species.
Area for Major Specialization: Systems Biology in relevant animal models, including bovine (beef and dairy), goats, pigs, and poultry.
Minor Areas: Bioinformatics, Immunology, Nutrigenomics, or Molecular Biology
Requirements
Minimum qualifications include a M.Sc. in one of the following areas: Bioinformatics, Computer Science, and/or Biological Sciences (with interest/skills in bioinformatics). The Ph.D. students must be willing to work effectively in a collaborative environment and be willing to learn use of computer languages (e.g., R, Linux, and Perl) and bioinformatics tools. Each of the 3 Ph.D. positions will have an emphasis but it will be expected that the Ph.D. student will work in synergy and be involved in all three main activities:
- One Ph.D. will primarily develop/refine bioinformatics tools. For this position a strong background in computer science is requested;
- One Ph.D. will primarily develop pipelines for analysis of omics data. For this position a strong bioinformatics and/or biostatistics background is requested;
- One Ph.D. will primarily generate omics datasets and perform experiments. For this position a strong animal science/biology background is preferred.
Besides the requirement for each position as outlined above, a demonstrated expertise in programming, bioinformatics, and/or animal science/biology are assets.
Duties
The PhD students will be involved in experimental design, project coordination, daily project operation, and will communicate with collaborators. The students are also expected to prepare research reports, present results at conferences, and manuscripts for publication.
Stipend and tuition
A three-year research assistantship that covers tuition expenses and a competitive stipend is available to aid in the completion of the Ph.D. program.
Mentors and opportunities
The following faculty will be responsible for mentoring the Ph.D. students (see here):
- Dr. Gita Cherian, Associate Professor in Animal and Rangeland Sciences; her main area of research is poultry nutrition with emphasis on lipidomics and lipid metabolism;
- Dr. Massimo Bionaz, Assistant Professor in Animal and Rangeland Sciences; his main area of research is nutrigenomics in dairy cows and other animal models, welfare, and systems biology; He is affiliated with the Center for Genome Research and Biocomputing at OSU.
- Dr. Gerd Bobe, Assistant Professor with a split appointment between Animal and Rangeland Sciences and the Linus Pauling Institute; his main area of research is dietary disease prevention using systems biology approaches that integrate nutrition, physiology, molecular biology, epidemiology, and biostatistics; He is affiliated with the Center for Genome Research and Biocomputing and the School of Biological and Population Health Sciences at OSU.
- Dr. Reinaldo Cooke, Associate Professor in Animal and Rangeland Sciences, he is located at OSU Eastern Oregon Agricultural Research Center - Burns (OR); his main area of research is the relationship between nutrition, metabolism, health, and reproduction in beef.
Besides the resources available in the laboratories of the mentors, the Ph.D. students will have access to the state-of-the art resources available at the Linus Pauling Institute and the Center for Genome Research and Biocomputing.
Application
Close Date: Until positions are successfully filled. Only candidates selected for an interview will be notified.
How to Apply: General admission requirements and an on-line application form can be found at http://gradschool.oregonstate.edu/admissions.
Additionally, please send a cover letter stating how your background and qualifications match the position requirements, a full curriculum vitae (CV) detailing your education, awards, publications, skills, and research experience, and contact information for at the least three references.
Please send the requested documents electronically as a single PDF file to Dr. Gita Cherian at gita.cherian@oregonstate.edu.
