Scientist

PURPOSE OF POSITION

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is the specialized cancer agency of the World Health Organization. The objective of the IARC is to promote international collaboration in cancer research.

The Epigenomics and Mechanisms Branch (EGM) conducts hypothesis-driven studies as well as data-driven mechanistic studies with a special emphasis aimed at advancing the understanding of cancer causation and the mechanisms of tumorigenesis and promoting international collaboration, the core activities of IARC. EGM’s ambition is also to place more emphasis on contributions to translational studies, through the discovery of mechanism-based biomarkers of exposure and risk stratification. EGM’s studies are interdisciplinary in nature, and the major EGM programmes promote and advance synergistic collaborations with other IARC laboratory-based scientists, data scientists, epidemiologists, and evidence synthesis experts, as well as with numerous international collaboration groups.

The incumbent will support leveraging omics data and innovative statistical and computational methods to understand the molecular mechanisms associated with cancer and/or its exposure risk factors in early and adult life.

DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES

The incumbent will report directly to a team leader and will perform the below duties:

1)      Contribute to project management such as liaison with collaborators, biospecimen selection for data generation, development of meeting agendas, progress reports and data management plans, keeping timely track of milestones, and assisting in project budget management and administrative clearances (eg. material and data transfer agreements, ethical approvals, shipment clearances for biological samples, etc.).

2)      Analyze and interpret omics data and assist in the implementation of innovative analytical methodologies, primarily in the field of epigenomics in relation to genomics and/or transcriptomics and within the context of epidemiology, clinical and/or cell biology systems.

3)      Perform systematic literature search and data mining in biomedical databases and evaluate existing evidence and tools.

4)      Prepare and write scientific manuscripts (particularly tailored for high-impact journals), assist in the preparation of other pertinent manuscripts, and present findings at national and international meetings.

5)      Participate in the preparation of funding applications to support ongoing and future research projects.

6)      Contribute to the training and mentoring of junior researchers and students.

7)      Assist in the organization of various scientific and/or technical activities related to the ongoing and future research.

8)      Carry out other related duties as assigned by the first-level supervisor.

WHO COMPETENCIES

·        Producing results.

·        Communication.

·        Fostering integration and teamwork.

·        Moving forward in a changing environment.

·        Ensuring effective use of resources.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION

Essential: PhD in Epi/Genomics, Molecular Epidemiology, Bioinformatics/Biostatistics, Public Health, Cancer Biology or another related field.

Desirable: Clinical education or training in project management (eg. AgileSCRUM, PRINCE2, APM, SAFE, PMI, Human research ethics, etc.).

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Essential: At least one year of professional experience in epigenomics, genomics, transcriptomics, biomarker research, biostatistics/bioinformatics, and/or molecular epidemiology.

Desirable: Experience in clinical oncology, pediatric oncology, project management, anti-tobacco research, cohort studies, multi-omics data integration, and/or translational science.

FUNCTIONAL SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE

Essential:

·        Background in handling and analyzing omics data (particularly epi/genomics), in relation to epidemiology and/or clinical data.

·        Proficiency in using statistics software (eg. R, Python).

·        Knowledge of regulatory aspects related to human data research and proficiency with human research ethics applications.

·        Excellent oral and written communication skills, including scientific presentations and manuscripts, with a track record of scientific publications and knowledge of Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel.