A skilled and dedicated individual is sought to fulfill a cross-disciplinary role between the Advanced Data and Workflow group in National Center for Computational Sciences and the Computational Biology lab in the Biosciences Division at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The specific research tasks will involve the porting and scaling of existing, as well as newly developed, domain relevant algorithms to high performance computing environments with a particular focus on GPU-based architectures. This will require the capacity to communicate effectively between different scientific groups with various backgrounds. The focus of these algorithms is to meet the Systems Biology challenges and better understand the complex interactions between cellular and organismal components.
Algorithms that leverage approaches such as Iterative Random Forests, Unions of Intersections, Mixed Integer Programming and Combinatorial Metrics, among others, allow a more efficient approach to model and explore the biological combinatorial space. The ability to scale such comprehensive models has the potential to usher in a new era in biology. The success of this project will enable discoveries about the molecular mechanisms responsible for complex biological systems, and the emergent properties thereof, in a manner and scale that has not been feasible before. These models would lead to breakthroughs that would assist in the development of a biofuels and bioproducts-based industry. These same tools and innovations will also have applications to carbon cycles, biogeochemistry, bioremediation, ecosystem studies, plant-microbiome interactions, climate, agronomics, neuroscience, clinical genomics and precision medicine.
The Computational Biology Group at ORNL uses petascale computing to analyze and model complex biological systems and is actively involved in the development of exascale applications for biology. Thus, there are excellent opportunities to be involved in the cutting edge of domain science and supercomputing.
Major Duties/Responsibilities
Work with both the Advanced Data and Workflow group and the Computational Biology lab.
Implement existing and newly developed algorithms to scale on heterogeneous architectures.
Publication of scientific contributions in high-impact peer-reviewed journals in a timely manner.
Basic Requirements
-Ph.D. in Computer Science, Computational Biology, Applied Mathematics, Statistics, Biomathematics or related discipline.
-Two (2) or more years of experience in data processing, pipeline development and/or programming within a computational science environment.
-Experience in developing applications geared towards domain science (ideally biology).
-Programming skills in at least one programming language such as C, or C++.
Preferred Qualifications:
-Previous experience in computational modeling and machine learning techniques.
-Experience with statistics as it relates to highly multidimensional data sets.
-Experience with R will be seen as an additional benefit.
-Experience with high performance computing and GPUs will be looked upon very favorably.
-Excellent verbal and written communication across diverse technical, non-technical, and scientific audiences.
Applicants cannot have received their Ph.D. more than five years prior to the date of application and must complete all degree requirements before starting their appointment. The appointment length will be for up to 24 months with the potential for extension. Initial appointments and extensions are subject to performance and the availability of funding.
ORNL is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants, including individuals with disabilities and protected veterans, are encouraged to apply. UT-Battelle is an E-Verify Employer.
Email Kate Carter @ carterka@ornl.gov