Postdoctoral Researcher / Bioinformatician in cancer research

Tiivistelmä työpaikkailmoituksesta: The University of Helsinki Vähärautio lab seeks a Postdoctoral Researcher/Bioinformatician to apply single‑cell and multi‑omic analyses to study therapy resistance in ovarian cancer. Applicants should hold a PhD (postdoc) or an MSc with strong single‑cell omics experience, programming skills in R or Python, and a basic understanding of biology. The role involves supportive data analysis across single‑cell transcriptomics and other omics, close collaboration with experimental scientists and clinicians, and contributing to publications without aiming for first or last authorship. The salary will be commensurate with qualifications under the Finnish university (YPJ) system, the appointment is initially for two years with a six‑month trial, the candidate must reside in Finland, and applications are open until 18 September 2026. Tämä tiivistelmä on luotu tekoälyn avulla. We are looking for a highly motivated and skilled Postdoctoral Researcher / Bioinformatician to join our collaborative, multidisciplinary research team applying single-cell methodologies to study treatment resistance in ovarian cancer. Vähärautio lab ( https://vaharautiolab.org/) at the Medical Faculty, University of Helsinki, is seeking a bioinformatician or a computer scientist with strong analytical skills and experience on omics data, and basic understanding of biology to study therapy resistance mechanisms and dynamics in ovarian cancer. Our research focuses on understanding and manipulating the dynamics of therapy-resistance by combining advanced molecular biology method development to multi-omic single-cell analyses of both ex vivo models and clinical tumor specimens. Our novel, in-house methodologies combining lineage tracing and molecular recording allow us to study how cellular history primes resistance and enables adaptive responses during therapy. We further aim to identify and validate the functional drivers of these patterns and counteract these with correctly timed adjuvant treatments. The candidate will join a dynamic and collaborative multidisciplinary research group with ca. 50-50 balance of dry and wet lab scientists at the University of Helsinki. We also collaborate broadly both within our University and internationally, so you would be part of a broad, active and versatile research community. We are particularly interested in candidates with: Strong computational and bioinformatics expertise combined with interest in cancer biology and gene regulation. Background can be PhD or even MSc if the candidate has gained solid experience in relevant omics analyses (esp. Single-cell methodologies and/or multi-omics). Experience in live cell image analysis, and/or metabolic analyses is a plus, as we also have projects that would benefit from these. This position is ideal for someone excited about working at the interface of basic biology, cancer, data science, and translational medicine but with an interest to flexibly collaborate across the lab’s projects rather than lead a project of their own. Responsibilities Contribute to scientific publications and project development in an assisting/supportive role (i.e., the role would not aim for first or last author publications) Flexibly embark on various data analysis tasks that support lab projects that mostly consist of single-cell transcriptomics analyses, as well as potentially other data layers (ATAC-seq, CROP-seq, spatial, live cell imaging, metabolic analyses) Adapt and apply computational approaches for translational cancer research Collaborate closely with experimental scientists, clinicians, and bioinformaticians Requirements Either: PhD in computational biology, bioinformatics, systems biology, or a related field (Post-doctoral position); OR: MSc with strong background in single-cell omics analyses (Research Assistant or Specialist position, depending on level of experience). However, please note that this is not a PhD student position. Strong interest in gene regulation dynamics, cancer research, and translation medicine Experience in computational analysis of biological data Experience with single-cell, transcriptomics, spatial biology, or other omics data analysis approaches Programming skills in R, Python, or equivalent Ability to work independently while flexibly contributing actively to an interdisciplinary research team Sufficient communication skills and fluency in English We especially value scientific collaborative spirit, curiosity, initiative, and the ability to bridge computational and biological thinking. The chosen applicant is expected to reside in Finland while employed by the University of Helsinki. We offer An inspiring and international research environment at the interface of computational, translational, and clinical cancer research Possibility to broadly contribute to lab projects and to collaborate with multidisciplinary lab members Access to unique patient-derived datasets and cutting-edge technologies Opportunities to