UCD Post-doctoral Research Fellow Level 1 # 015822

UCD Post-doctoral Research Fellow Level 1

Position Summary

The (opens in a new window)UCD Cancer Data lab at the Conway Institute of Biomolecular and Biomedical Research and the UCD School of Computer Science are recruiting postdoctoral fellows to work on machine learning approaches to predict synthetic lethal interactions in cancer.

Project Description:

Synthetic lethality, where one gene becomes essential in the presence of a mutation in another, has emerged as a promising approach by which we might identify new therapeutic targets for a variety of cancer associated mutations. Advances in genetic screening technologies, most notably CRISPR gene-editing, have enabled large- scale efforts to identify new synthetic lethal targets in cancer. However, testing all human gene pairs for synthetic lethality in even a single cell line is well beyond the field’s current capacity. Furthermore, it has become clear that synthetic lethal interactions are highly context-specific: a combination of genetic perturbations that is lethal in one cell type or genetic background may be well tolerated in another. The nature of this context-specificity and the factors that influence it are almost entirely unknown. However, such knowledge is critical both for identifying new synthetic lethal therapies and for anticipating resistance to such therapies. The overall goal of this project is to understand what factors contribute to the context-specificity of synthetic lethality in cancer and to develop machine learning models capable of predicting context-specific synthetic lethality. The fellow recruited for this role will primarily work on the machine learning side. Relevant recent work from our lab includes (opens in a new window)Lord et al, eLife (2020), (opens in a new window)De Kegel et al, Cell Systems (2021), and (opens in a new window)Tudose et al, bioRxiv (2023).

This is a research focused role, where you will conduct a specified programme of research supported by research training and development under the supervision and direction of a Principal Investigator.

The primary purpose of the role is to further develop your research skills and competences, including the processes of publication in peer-reviewed academic publications, the development of funding proposals, the mentorship of graduate students along with the opportunity to develop your skills in research led teaching.

In addition to the Principal Duties and Responsibilities listed below, the successful candidate will also carry out the following duties specific to this project:

• Collaborating with other researchers both in UCD and Externally
• Conduct a specified programme of research and scholarship under the supervision and direction of your Principal Investigator.
• Engage in appropriate training and professional development opportunities as required by your Principal 
• Investigator, your School or Institute, or the University.
• Engage in the dissemination of the results of the research in which you are engaged as directed by and with the support of and under the supervision of your Principal Investigator.
• Engage in the wider research and scholarly activities of your research group, School and Institute.
• Mentor and assist, as appropriate and as directed, the research graduate students in your group, School
• and Institute.
• Carry out administrative work associated with your programme of research.

Competition closes: 25th April 2023

Apply Below (Ref: 015822)

https://www.ucd.ie/workatucd/jobs/