CO-OP Student

The Channing Division of Network Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital is looking for exceptional Northeastern University trainees to join the Systems Genetics and Genomics group, advancing research on chronic respiratory diseases, with a focus on identifying multi-omics biomarkers for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Brigham and Women's Hospital, a major teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School, is an international leader in healthcare, dedicated to improving global well-being through excellence in clinical care and groundbreaking research. Serving patients from over 120 countries, the hospital has a legacy of innovation and impact.

This internship is within the Channing Division of Network Medicine, a research division in the Department of Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. We employ an integrated, network-based, systems biology-driven approach to uncover the origins of complex diseases, with the goal of redefining them by revealing their fundamental pathobiological mechanisms. This work aims to enable novel treatment and preventive strategies grounded in revolutionary systems-driven disease classifications. The Division includes over 50 distinguished primary faculty members with expertise spanning epidemiology, statistics, bioinformatics, genetics, epigenetics, transcriptomics, metabolomics, metagenomics, and network-based analyses of complex human diseases.

The principal investigators' research focuses on identifying novel COPD biomarkers, applying machine learning to define its clinical and molecular basis, and developing clinical prediction tools using multi-omics data. COPD affects up to 24 million individuals in the United States, contributing substantially to morbidity and mortality, yet no disease-modifying therapies currently exist. Our group has led some of the largest genetic and multi-omics studies in obstructive lung diseases, uncovering new molecular associations and pathways. The intern will work with Dr. Castaldi and Dr. El Boueiz to identify novel multi-omics biomarkers and molecular subtypes of emphysema using a systems biology approach. This project will leverage two large, well-phenotyped NIH-funded studies (COPDGene and Lung Tissue Research Consortium (LTRC)) along with the team's extensive expertise in advanced imaging, multi-omics data analysis and machine learning.

Responsibilities:
*Under the direction of the PIs and research staff, the applicant is expected to independently carry out daily research activities.
* Work with our interdisciplinary team, consisting of epidemiologists, biostatisticians, computational biologists, translational scientists, and clinicians.
* Review the literature and become familiar with the epidemiologic and multi-omics studies that are relevant to the research project.
* Program and analyze data using R / Bioconductor and Linux.
* Write abstracts, posters, and manuscripts.

Qualifications:
* Prior experience in programming languages and bioinformatics tools commonly used in computational biology. Most of our research projects use the R or Python. While some on the job learning is expected, interns who do not have some degree of exposure to programming will not be well-positioned for this position.
* Excellent written and oral communication skills to convey research findings, collaborate with team members, and present at conferences.
* Willingness and ability to adapt to new technologies, tools, and research directions as the field evolves.
* Act with ethics and integrity, ensuring that all aspects of work meet or exceed professional standards. Build strong, positive working relationships with others (manager, peers, other coworkers)
* Strong project management skills to plan, execute, and complete research projects on time with the ability to maintain a detailed and well-organized record of the research performed and the results obtained.
* Demonstrate dependability (e.g., report consistently, and on time, for work, appointments, and meetings)
* Ability to resolve technical problems and analytical skills if necessary
* Accept feedback and use it to strengthen future performance

Training goals:
*Acquire advanced skills for analyzing complex biological data, including high-throughput data.
*Develop advanced proficiency in programming and bioinformatics.
*Develop strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills to address complex biological questions.
*Publish research findings in reputable journals and present work at conferences.
*Meet with the PIs at least twice weekly to discuss research findings, solicit feedback, evaluate progress, and provide appropriate support and mentoring.
*Receive guidance on career planning and job search strategies.