Opportunity Details

Institute for Informatics

Research

Commensurate w/Experience

Research Scientist Opportunities in the Institute for Informatics (I2)

Environment

Washington University in St. Louis (WU), founded in 1853, is a medium-sized, private research university with approximately 12,000 full-time students, half of whom are enrolled in graduate and professional programs, and nearly 2,100 part-time students. The diverse student body represents all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and more than 100 countries around the world, with approximately ninety percent of undergraduates derived from outside the state. With 30,000 applicants for 1,600 places in the freshman Class of 2016, the university’s undergraduate program was the 7th most selective in the nation, and the most recent U.S. News & World Report ranks WU 14th among national universities. For 2016, WU undergraduate and graduate programs in entrepreneurship have been recognized as among the top 25 in the United States by The Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine survey of more than 300 schools. This strength in entrepreneurial studies complements recent St. Louis recognition as among the best startup cities in the nation, evidenced in the CORTEX Innovation District and their 20 partners.

The Washington University School of Medicine (WUSM) is a world class research intensive academic health center. Since its founding in 1891, WUSM has trained nearly 9,000 physicians and has contributed groundbreaking discoveries in many areas of medical research. WUSM is internationally known for research in neuroscience, genetics, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, oncology, immunology, diagnostic imaging, and many other specialty areas.  WUSM was ranked #6 in 2015 by U.S. News & World Report among the nation’s research-oriented medical schools and currently has 1,983 full-time faculty members. In fiscal year 2014, WUSM received more than $353 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), ranking as one of the top 5 academic institutions for NIH funding.

BJC HealthCare (BJC) system includes 13 community hospitals in Missouri and southern Illinois with 3,479 staffed beds, and is one of the largest academically-based health care systems in the country. The system serves regional residents through hospitals, nursing facilities, and a comprehensive outpatient care network. Barnes-Jewish Hospital (BJH) and St. Louis Children’s Hospital (SLCH) constitute the academic core of BJC. BJC is recognized for its ability to integrate health services in a cost-efficient manner, while providing an innovative medical data and imaging repository to enhance physicians’ access to patient data. BJC has more than 100 sites in the St. Louis metropolitan area for medical care and services, and is the dominant health care provider in the region with a 34 percent market share – more than double that of the next largest system. BJC is the first health care system in the nation to integrate an academic medical center with suburban, rural, and metropolitan-based health care facilities. Both BJH and SLCH are on the WUSM campus and serve as regional, national, and international referral centers, offering comprehensive care and providing a full range of health services and research for complex populations across the lifespan

The Institute for Informatics (I2) is a comprehensive home for Biomedical Informatics and Data Science research, education, and services spanning WU, BJC, and affiliated entities.  I2 was created in response to the changes currently being experienced across the modern healthcare and life sciences environments wherein there has been as fundamental shift towards trans-disciplinary, integrative, and data-intensive approaches to basic, clinical, translational, and population level research.  These developments have been coupled with the widespread use of information technology platforms to re-engineer of healthcare delivery and achieve greater value alongside improved outcomes and safety. The complex data, information, and knowledge needs associated with these trends requires a comprehensive and systems-level approach to Biomedical Informatics and Data Science research, education, and practice.  In response to the these trends, and as noted above, WU created I2 to provide an academic and professional “hub” for Biomedical Informatics and Data Science research, training, and practice.   I2  engages faculty, staff, and trainees, as well as external partners, drawn from The School of Medicine as well as the School of Engineering and Applied Science, the Institute for Public Health, the Brown School of Social Work, the Olin School of Business, the Health Systems Innovational Laboratory and Center for Clinical Excellence at BJC HealthCare, and the Cortex Innovation Community.  I2 engages in innovative research, workforce development, and dissemination activities targeting a variety of critical areas of need, including:

  • The integration and dissemination of heterogeneous data, information, and knowledge resources;
  • Computational approaches to the interpretation of bio-molecular, image, and clinical phenotypes to inform precision medicine;
  • The acceleration of clinical and translational research through the systematic management of study protocols, data resources, and analytical pipelines;
  • The creation of learning healthcare systems in which cyclical evidence generation and application becomes integral to care delivery;
  • The use of ubiquitous computing and sensing technologies capable of facilitating population health monitoring and intervention strategies; and
  • Methodological and technical approaches to enable and enhance research reproducibility and rigor.

 

The Institute for Informatics (I2) seeks highly qualified research scientists to participate in multi-disciplinary investigations focusing upon basic, clinical, and translational research aims.  Successful candidates will serve as integral members of research teams, engaging in the development and analysis of complex biomedical data sets, the interpretation of ensuing results, and the dissemination of those findings through a variety of mechanisms.  Specific technical and scientific skill sets that are priorities for this search are as follows: 

  • Biomedical computation and data engineering (including data discovery, integration, normalization, and analysis using common descriptive and statistical methodologies);
  • Bioinformatics and computational biology pipeline development;
  • Applying machine learning methods to a variety of complex and heterogeneous biomedical data types for both hypothesis generation and testing; and
  • Data visualization and/or interactive systems design

Candidates should have an appropriate educational and professional backgrounds, and substantial research experience. 

Individuals with both masters- and doctoral-level training will be considered for this search. 

Racial, ethnic, gender, and other forms of diversity will be prioritized as part of this faculty recruitment opportunity.


Candidates should submit a cover letter, CV, and at least three professional references to Philip R.O. Payne, PhD, Director, c/o Cynthia Marich, Program Manager (cmarich@wustl.edu). 

Cynthia Marich

cmarich@wustl.edu

7/24/2017

5/4/2018

An Equal Opportunity Affirmative Action Employer

Washington University in St. Louis is committed to the principles and practices of equal employment opportunity and affirmative action. It is the university’s policy to recruit, hire, train, and promote persons in all job titles without regard to race, color, age, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, veteran status, disability, or genetic information. Washington University seeks an exceptionally qualified and diverse faculty; women, minorities, protected veterans and candidates with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.

Back to List