Research Data Scientist - Molecular and Precision Medicine / Medicine

The Penn State College of Medicine, Department of Molecular and Precision Medicine and Department of Medicine, seek a PhD-trained Senior Bioinformatician / Research Data Scientist to support an expanding portfolio of translational and precision health research programs. The successful candidate will develop, implement, and evaluate advanced computational and statistical approaches to analyze high-dimensional biological data, including multi-omics datasets. This role will collaborate closely with faculty investigators across disciplines—including aging biology, infectious diseases, cancer biology, and mucosal immunology—to integrate genomics, transcriptomics (including single-cell), proteomics, and related datasets into mechanistic and translational insights.

The Senior Bioinformatician will serve as a key computational partner across multiple projects, contributing to study design, data analysis, visualization, and interpretation while helping to build sustainable computational infrastructure within the department.

• →Develop, select, and apply advanced computational and statistical methods to analyze complex biological datasets
• →Perform integrative multi-omics analyses (e.g., genomics, transcriptomics, single-cell RNA-seq, proteomics, epigenomics)
• →Utilize and implement tools such as Scanpy and other single-cell analysis frameworks
• →Develop and maintain reproducible workflows in Python and related programming environments
• →Collaborate with faculty to design computational strategies aligned with research aims
• →Develop novel algorithms, software tools, and analytical pipelines to address emerging research questions
• →Generate high-quality visualizations and analytical summaries for manuscripts, grant applications, and presentations
• →Contribute to interpretation of results and development of new hypotheses
• →Support training of trainees and junior investigators in data analysis best practices
• →Ensure data management, documentation, and reproducibility standards are maintained

• PhD in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Biology, Biomedical Sciences, Biostatistics, Computer Science, or related field
• Demonstrated experience analyzing high-dimensional biological or omics datasets
• Strong programming skills in Python (required) and familiarity with data science frameworks
• Experience with single-cell data analysis tools (e.g., Scanpy or similar platforms)
• Experience integrating multi-omics datasets
• Ability to work collaboratively across interdisciplinary research teams
• Strong written and verbal communication skills

• Background in biology, immunology, cancer biology, infectious diseases, aging, or related biomedical fields
• Experience working in an academic medical center environment
• Familiarity with high-performance computing environments and cloud-based analysis
• Track record of contribution to peer-reviewed publications

This position will serve as the senior bioinformatics lead across multiple translational research initiatives, enabling integration of large-scale datasets into biologically meaningful discoveries. The role is central to advancing precision health initiatives and strengthening the department’s computational research capacity.

Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act and the Pennsylvania Act of 1988, Penn State publishes a combined Annual Security and Annual Fire Safety Report (ASR). The ASR includes crime statistics and institutional policies concerning campus security, such as those concerning alcohol and drug use, crime prevention, the reporting of crimes, sexual assault, and other matters. The ASR is available for review here.

Penn State is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or protected veteran status. If you are unable to use our online application process due to an impairment or disability, please contact 814-865-1473.

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