Jobs

This fellowship (offering $35K-$40K annually for four years) is offered to work on developing computational algorithms in cancer and epigenetics. The potential projects range from data analysis to developing deep-learning algorithms. Learn more about our research at:

https://panchenko-lab.org/

Available PhD programs:

• Pathology PhD Program
• Computer Science PhD Program
• Biochemistry & Molecular Sciences PhD Program

Project Title: Polygenic Risk Score development for chronic low back pain

Professors Carolina Meloto and Audrey Grant are hiring one PhD student at the Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences at McGill University. This research opportunity is focused on applied approaches directed towards prevention of chronic low back pain (cLBP) development. Broadly, chronic pain is defined based on the persistence of pain experience for over three months and represents a substantial public health burden with a prevalence of 20 % in the general population, with cLBP as the most common chronic pain condition. Accurately predicting individuals who are at risk of cLBP is a vital step needed to enable cLBP prevention strategies. Despite cLBP having a sizable genetic heritability, models proposed to predict cLBP development are based on biopsychosocial measures and do not incorporate genetic variability. Here, we will capitalize on large scale biobanks available to our teams to derive and assess the performance (discrimination, calibration, and accuracy) of a polygenic risk score (PRS) that predicts cLBP development. We plan to use cutting edge methodology and new data resources to maximize predictive performance of the PRS.

Titre du Projet de Recherche :

Nouvelles méthodes d’analyse de réseaux de similarité et leur utilisation en biologie évolutive et génomique

Description du Projet :

En biologie évolutive, la comparaison de séquences génétiques est essentielle pour comprendre la diversité du vivant. Les arbres et les réseaux phylogénétiques ont grandement contribué à notre compréhension de l’histoire du vivant. Cependant, l’augmentation exponentielle récente des séquences génétiques et génomiques disponibles nécessite de nouvelles méthodes pour explorer la diversité des données génétiques. Notre projet se focalise sur le développement de méthodes mathématiques et informatiques innovantes pour analyser de grands jeux de données génomiques, métagénomiques et biogéographiques via des réseaux de similarité de séquences (les graphes où chaque nœud représente une séquence génétique et chaque arête un lien de similarité).

Within this project funded by the ADlab laboratory (Arnaud Droit Lab, compbio.ca), the main goal will be to transform the access and analysis of biological knowledge databases (BKDs) through the integration of these databases into a knowledge graph and the use of large language models (LLMs). This initiative aims to facilitate natural querying of biological data, making research more accessible to biologists without specific expertise in programming or data analysis. The main objectives include:

• Building a biological knowledge graph that integrates multiple BKDs to improve their cohesion and extract valuable information.
• Developing and training specific LLMs capable of interpreting and querying this graph in natural language.
• Creating and evaluating a conversational agent based on these LLMs, to allow intuitive querying of BKDs using natural language requests.

A fully funded PhD position is available at United Arab Emirates University. The project involves integrating mathematical models of the date palm tree with Omics data to explore the impact of both biotic and abiotic stresses.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
– Proficiency in programming languages, particularly R/MATLAB/PYTHON.
– IELTS score of > 6.5 (mandatory)
– Basic knowledge in plant molecular biology, metabolism, and growth.
– Experience in RNA extractions and NGS analysis.

ADDITIONAL QUALIFICATIONS
– Understanding of biological networks.
– Deep knowledge in the field of Mathematical modeling.
– Experience in plant growth experiments.
– Strong academic background.

If interested, please forward your CV and a compelling statement of intent to tauqeer.uaeu@gmail.com

only shortlisted candidate will be contacted.

All the best