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

Potential projects include: 

• Mendelian Randomization (MR) 

• 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). 

• Splice variant analysis 

• Identify and characterize splice-altering variants using NGS data in population biobanks and disease cohorts 

• Conduct statistical analyses to study the effect of splice-altering variants on neurodegenerative disease phenotypes and biomarkers 

• Statistical fine-mapping and colocalization of GWAS loci for target identification 

• Explore and apply multiple statistical methods to fine-map and colocalize GWAS loci of disease indication to better understand potential causal variants and variant-to-gene mapping 

• Interpretation of GWAS findings for target identification 

• Genetic analysis on 1) drug use pattern and 2) clinical characteristics for depression and other mood disorders using of large-scale genomic datasets and biobanks: 

• Characterize drug use pattern and clinical features of depression and other mood disorders patients in biobanks 

• Identify and characterize genetic loci/genes associated with depression and other mood disorders through literature review and genetic and genomic analysis based on depression drug use pattern and clinical features (genetic association, Mendelian randomization, colocalization, fine-mapping, etc.)  

• Implement a genetic risk score analysis pipeline  

• Assess the utility of genetic risk scores for depression patient stratification in terms of drug use pattern and clinical features 

• The intern/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:  

• For Mendelian Randomization project: knowledge of Mendelian Randomization techniques and applications  

• For splice variant project: experience with NGS pipeline and datasets, data QC, knowledge of differential splicing analysis 

• For fine-mapping and genetic analysis projects: knowledge of GWAS and post-GWAS analyses/methods (colocalization, fine-mapping, PRS, etc.)  

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, Bioinformatics or related field    

Additional Information

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