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The Parolia Laboratory at the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center invites applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow in Computational Biology. This is a limited-term position with an initial appointment of two years, renewable annually based on satisfactory performance. The position offers a rich training environment at the intersection of cancer genomics, chromatin biology, and transcriptional regulation, with a focus on prostate cancer and Ewing sarcoma.

The successful candidate will be embedded in a highly collaborative and fast-paced research group, contributing both to independent computational projects and to the broader analytical needs of ongoing experimental programs. The fellow will be directly trained and supervised by Dr. Eleanor Young, Senior Computational Scientist, and will report to Dr. Abhijit Parolia, Principal Investigator. 

The ideal candidate would thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative research environment and would be equally comfortable driving an independent research agenda as they are providing analytical support to collaborative projects. They would be intellectually curious, scientifically rigorous, and motivated by the translational potential of cancer genomics research. Strong communication skills - both written and verbal - and a genuine enthusiasm for mentorship and teamwork are highly valued.

This position is offered for a two-to-three-year term, renewed on an annual basis contingent on performance. Over this period, the fellow is expected to:

• Lead and contribute to at least one first-author publication arising from independent computational project work
• Provide analytical support to wet-lab and computational team members across ongoing projects, including data processing, quality control, normalization, and statistical analysis
• Lead the design and execution of computational analyses for a primary research project focused on large-scale patient genomic data, with particular emphasis on single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) datasets from human prostate cancer atlases
• Develop, implement, and maintain reproducible bioinformatic pipelines for multi-omic data types including scRNA-seq, ATAC-seq, ChIP-seq, and bulk RNA-seq
• Present research findings at internal lab meetings and maintain detailed records
• Contribute to the establishment of best practices in data management, version control, and computational reproducibility.

• PhD in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Biostatistics, Computer Science, or a closely related field (degree conferred prior to start date)
• Demonstrated proficiency in R and/or Python for genomic data analysis
• Experience with next-generation sequencing data analysis (RNA-seq, ATAC-seq, ChIP-seq, or equivalent)
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple projects simultaneously in a dynamic research environment
• Must be pursuing advanced scientific or scholarly training, which may be in a clinical setting but is outside of the traditional clinical service and does not involve direct patient care.

• Experience with single-cell RNA-seq or multiome (RNA+ATAC) analysis frameworks (e.g., Seurat, Scanpy, ArchR, Signac)
• Familiarity with cancer genomics datasets and publicly available resources (TCGA, GEO, cBioPortal)
• Experience with high-performance computing environments (SLURM, AWS, or equivalent)
• Prior involvement in grant writing or manuscript preparation
• Background in chromatin biology, transcription factor biology, or cancer genomics

Michigan Medicine is one of the largest health care complexes in the world and has been the site of many groundbreaking medical and technological advancements since the opening of the U-M Medical School in 1850. Michigan Medicine is comprised of over 30,000 employees and our vision is to attract, inspire, and develop outstanding people in medicine, sciences, and healthcare to become one of the world's most distinguished academic health systems.  In some way, great or small, every person here helps to advance this world-class institution. Work at Michigan Medicine and become a victor for the greater good.

What Benefits can you Look Forward to?

• Excellent medical, dental and vision coverage effective on your very first day

   

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

The Parolia Lab investigates the chromatin regulatory and transcriptional mechanisms that drive prostate cancer and Ewing sarcoma. The laboratory employs a wide array of cutting-edge high-throughout technologies, including ChIP-seq, ATAC-seq, 3D chromatin conformation, single-cell multiomics (10X ATAC+RNA), CRISPR-based functional screens, and, most recently, metabolomics. The group is embedded within the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center and maintains active collaborations with leading cancer genomics laboratories nationally and internationally.

The fellow will be directly mentored by Dr. Eleanor Young, Senior Computational Scientist in the Parolia Laboratory, who will provide day-to-day guidance and technical training. The fellow will report to Dr. Abhijit Parolia, PI, who will oversee project direction, grant strategy, and long-term career mentorship. Regular one-on-one meetings with both supervisors, combined with access to the broader MCTP computational biology community, will ensure a structured and supportive training environment.

Michigan Medicine conducts background screening and pre-employment drug testing on job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent job offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background screenings.  Background screenings are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Report Act. Pre-employment drug testing applies to all selected candidates, including new or additional faculty and staff appointments, as well as transfers from other U-M campuses.

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled any time after the minimum posting period has ended.

The University of Michigan is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.