Research Officer

The Powell Lab’s research is focused on using human genetics to uncover how disease arises at the level of individual cells and develop new treatments and strategies to improve patients’ health and well-being. The lab comprises a diverse group of computational and wet-lab scientists working collaboratively with national and international research and clinical groups.

THE OPPORTUNITY

This postdoctoral role will involve the analysis of the cellular genomic landscape in interstitial lung disease, working with large-scale single-cell and clinical data from liquid biopsies from patients and healthy controls. There are two main objectives: 1) discovery biology of how immune cell populations contribute to lung fibrosis and response to treatment; 2) development of early-stage diagnostic methods to inform disease stage and prognosis. This role is part of a large national network of interstitial disease research and clinical practice change, supported by an NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence for Interstitial Lung Disease. The postdoc will work closely with researchers and clinicians within the CRE and, where relevant, will have the opportunity to collaborate across other research and translational projects.

The Research Officer, Level 1, is accountable for conducting independent experiments within his/her Research Pillar in a collaborative framework with his/her supervisor. In principle, an RO conducts research work under guidance from a more senior scientist, and they would be demonstrating increasing independence as they progress from RO1 to RO3.

**Salary**: Up to $87,082 + 14% Super + salary packaging (depending on experience)

Employment Type: 2 year contract

SNAPSHOT OF BENEFITS- Generous salary packaging to save you income tax on your wages thereby boosting your monthly take home pay (max. $15,900 general expenses + $2,650 meals/accom)- Ample opportunities for on-going training and development- Stimulating, diverse and highly international research environment- Flexible work arrangements e.g. location, start / finish times etc- 18 weeks paid parental leave for both parents including paid superannuation- A range of additional leave types to meet your personal needs including cultural leave, conference leave, community service and study leave- Discounted Health Insurance- Lifestyle discounts with our community partners

WHAT YOU WILL DO

RESEARCH OFFICER - LEVEL 1

Performs under guidance

An RO1 would conduct original research under limited supervision and be required to make contributions in more than one of the following areas:
- Completion of research projects in an efficient and timely manner, with outcomes published under joint authorship in peer-reviewed journals- Contribution to the team and Garvan’s research projects- Presentation of original research at national/ international scientific conferences and as invited to seminars locally and/or nationally- Co-supervision and mentoring of students and junior research staff- Provision of supervisory assistance in the preparation of research grant proposals, including the contribution of data- Contribution to improvements in techniques, quantitative methods and quality control

ABOUT YOU

The general experience requirements are as follows, however this alone is not sufficient. Research Officers (RO) are appointed within the RO 1-3 scale based on their skills, experience and achievements, as well as the scope and demands of the position to which they are appointed.

The key skills and experience of a Research Officer include:
- PhD or MD in a relevant area- Extensive experience with analysis of genomic data- Strong programming skills in one or more of the following languages: R, Python, C++- Experience using high-performance computing environments.- Demonstrated ability to lead the writing of scientific manuscripts- Strong problem-solving and analytical skills- Have a strong commitment to the continuous delivery of high-quality work- Have excellent communication skills for written reports and oral presentations- Demonstrate a capacity to work collaboratively with researchers across laboratories- Be well organised and a good time manager with sound administrative abilities

ABOUT GARVAN

The Garvan Institute of Medical Research is an independent Medical Research Institute (MRI) in Sydney, delivering scientific and clinical impact on a global basis and in partnership with organisations that share our vision. We are proud to be one of Australia’s largest and most highly regarded MRI’s.

Our vision is global leadership in discoveries to impact and our enduring purpose is to impact human health, by harnessing information encoded in our genome.

We seek to see our world-class discovery research achieve life-changing impacts, not only for individual patients with rare diseases, but for the many thousands affected by complex, common disease.

Garvan promotes a diverse workplace and is committed to the principles of equity, diversity, inclusion and belon