Co-op, Statistical Geneticist

Company Description

At Biogen, our mission is clear - we are pioneers in neuroscience. Biogen discovers, develops, and delivers worldwide innovative therapies for people living with serious neurological and neurodegenerative diseases. Together, our employees create, commercialize, and manufacture transformative therapies for our patient population.   

We at Biogen are committed to building on our culture of inclusion and belonging that reflects the communities where we operate and the patients who we serve. We are focused on strengthening our foundation to advance our overall Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) strategy and, most importantly, ensure all our employees feel included. 

As an intern or co-op at Biogen, you can expect to be placed on a real project, under the guidance of experienced professionals and subject matter experts who are invested in your career and academic growth. We also ensure that you have plenty of opportunities to build your network, learn more about our organization through weekly lunch and learns led by leaders from across the company, and join us for several fun events.

Job Description

This application is for a 6-month student role July – December 2023. Resume review begins in January 2023. 

In Biogen’s Human Genetics group, statistical geneticists, genetic epidemiologists, and clinical geneticists work together with molecular biologists, computational biologists, bioinformaticians, and clinicians to identify and prioritize novel drug targets, and advance drug targets toward clinical development. We leverage our understanding of human genetics and genomics, disease biology, and cutting-edge technologies for deeper analysis of pathogenic mechanisms. 

Position Description 

We are seeking a talented co-op to apply a range of statistical/bioinformatics techniques to large scale genetic, genomic and clinical data as part of the Human Genetics group.  

The Co-op will: 

• Apply and further develop a statistical technique called Mendelian Randomization (MR) to help discover drug targets which are associated with neurological disease outcomes. 

• Conduct MR between splicing QTLs and risk factor/disease traits available in Finngen  

• Perform a multi-omics analysis, which compares the splicing QTLs identified with associations with other molecular traits such as gene expression (eQTLs) and protein levels (pQTLs). 

Splicing dysregulation has a central role in many neurological diseases, and results from this project will be able to identify and further understand the molecular pathways of genetic variants involved in splicing and disease, which will assist with nominating promising therapeutic targets and hypotheses.     

The co-op will meet weekly with their mentor to discuss experiments and results, and be given the opportunity to present their results internally. 

Qualifications

• Experience with statistical software (R, SAS, etc.) and scripting language (Python, Perl, etc.)  

• Experience with high-performance computing server or cloud computing 

• Background in human genetics  

• Background in quantitative/statistical genetics or genetic epidemiology is a plus 

• Excellent teamwork and communication skills 

Preferred: 

• Knowledge of Mendelian Randomization techniques and applications 

To participate in the Biogen Internship Program, students must meet the following eligibility criteria: 

• Legal authorization to work in the U.S. 

• At least 18 years of age prior to the scheduled start date 

• Be currently enrolled in an accredited college or university 

Education 

• Ph.D. student preferred; talented Master’s students may be considered 

• Graduate student in Statistical Genetics, Genetic Epidemiology, Human Genetics, Biostatistics, or related field  

Additional Information

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.