Computational Plant Biology Postdoctoral Associate | School of Integrative Plant Science, CALS

Cornell University embraces diversity and seeks candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports students, faculty and staff of all identities and backgrounds. We strongly encourage individuals from underrepresented and/or marginalized identities to apply.

Computational Plant Biology Postdoctoral Associate

School of Integrative Plant Science

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University embraces diversity and seeks candidates who will contribute to a climate that supports students, faculty, and staff of all identities and backgrounds. We strongly encourage individuals from underrepresented and/or marginalized identities to apply.

The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) is a pioneer of purpose-driven science and home to Cornell University's second largest population of students, faculty and staff. We work across disciplines to tackle the challenges of our time through world-renowned research, education and outreach. The questions we probe and the answers we seek focus on three overlapping concerns: natural and human systems; food, energy and environmental resources; and social, physical and economic well-being. CALS is fundamentally invested in improving the lives of people, their environments and their communities both in New York state and around the world.

The CALS School of Integrative of Plant Science (SIPS) encompasses five fields: Horticulture, Plant Biology, Plant Breeding & Genetics, Plant Pathology and Plant-Microbe Biology, and Soil and Crop Sciences. Combined there are 100+ faculty, ~200 undergraduate majors, 200+ graduate students in six fields, and 600+ other employees located in Ithaca, Geneva, and other satellite locations across New York State. The School offers the multidisciplinary undergraduate major in the Plant Sciences and is also home to the Agricultural Sciences major. School faculty also contribute to the Biology, Global Development, and Viticulture & Enology majors.

The project associated with this position is a collaborative effort between the Moghe Lab and the labs of Drs. Jocelyn Rose (Cornell University) and Arjun Khakhar (Colorado State University), integrating aspects of plant physiology, crop engineering and synthetic biology. The postdoc will have significant networking and mentoring opportunities from working in this collaborative environment.

Position Function

This position requires a PhD graduate with expertise in computational biology focusing on genomic tools. The project involves interfacing with global protein function and organismal databases such as UniProt, Gene Ontology, TAIR and Sol Genomics Network, developing novel computational pipelines for predicting enzyme function, and deploying such tools for public use via in-house and external platforms. The ideal candidate will have substantial experience working on HPC servers, will be able to code in Python with at least some R experience, have prior experience with machine learning algorithms, and will have a track record of publications. Having some prior wet-lab experience is additionally preferable but not required.

The researcher will work in a highly collaborative environment and have opportunities to mentor graduate students and undergrads, present at national/international conferences, attend workshops, participate in other collaborative projects and enhance their teaching credentials through occasional guest lectures. Given the multi-disciplinary nature of the lab, the researcher will also have opportunities to learn foundational wet-lab approaches, learn about LC-MS and cheminformatic data analyses, and participate in/develop other projects, making them highly competitive for future academic or industry careers.

This is a one-year term appointment with extension possible based on performance, funding and available work. The expected start date is flexible between June 1 - August 1, 2023.

Anticipated Division of Time

75% : Research as described above

15% : Manuscript preparation, presentations

10% : Mentoring and professional development.

Requirements

PhD in Plant Biology, Computational Biology, Biochemistry, Genetics or other related field.

Required skills:

• Ability to work independently in Unix-based HPC systems
• Expertise in coding in Python
• Expertise in comparative genomics tools and approaches
• Expert understanding of molecular evolution concepts
• Experience with implementing machine learning algorithms
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Evidence of performing high-quality research individually and as part of a team

Preferred skills:

• Experience with Python Django, R Shiny and Docker
• Experience with development and deployment of web tools
• Prior experience performing molecular biology work

Supervision Exercised

The researcher will be expected to me mentor undergraduate and/or early graduate students.

To apply:

Applications will be reviewed as received, continuing until a suitable applicant is identified.

CALS hiring range for this title is $56,484 and is based on NIH salary scale for postdocs commensurate with experience and qualifications. This is a full-employment position at Cornell University receiving fringe benefits including health insurance, retirement benefits, life insurance and childcare grants.

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Life. Changing.

Pay Range:

Pay Ranges:

The hiring rate of pay for the successful candidate will be determined considering the following criteria:

• Prior relevant work or industry experience.

• Education level to the extent education is relevant to the position.

• Academic Discipline (faculty pay ranges reflects 9-month annual salary)

• Unique applicable skills.

Employment Assistance:

Applicants that do not have internet access are encouraged to visit your local library, or local Department of Labor. You may also visit the office of Workforce Recruitment and Retention Monday - Friday between the hours of 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. to use a dedicated workstation to complete an online application.

Notice to Applicants:

EEO Statement:

Diversity and Inclusion are a part of Cornell University's heritage. We are a recognized employer and educator valuing AA/EEO, Protected Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities. We also recognize a lawful preference in employment practices for Native Americans living on or near Indian reservations. Cornell University is an innovative Ivy League university and a great place to work. Our inclusive community of scholars, students, and staff impart an uncommon sense of larger purpose, and contribute creative ideas to further the university's mission of teaching, discovery, and engagement.