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Senior Scientist in Bioinformatics for Environmental Medicine/Health (PhD) (m/f) Ref°326

Senior Scientist in Bioinformatics for Environmental Medicine/Health (PhD) (m/f) Ref°326

Type of contract: Full-time and undetermined duration contract (CDI)

We are currently looking for a Senior Scientist in Bioinformatics for Environmental Medicine/Health (PhD) (m/f) ref°326 for our Department Health Protection – Service Medical Expertise and Data Intelligence for a permanent position on a full time basis (40h/week).

ABOUT THE LABORATOIRE NATIONAL DE SANTE

The LNS is a major player in Luxembourg’s healthcare sector, serving the country’s patients, doctors and hospitals. Under the supervision of the Ministry of Health and Social Security, the LNS is a multidisciplinary public institution organized around six diagnostic departments, two of which are designated as national diagnostic centers for human genetics and pathology respectively.

The LNS employs around 400 highly qualified staff with diverse backgrounds. The main purpose of the LNS is to develop analytical activities and scientific expertise relating to the prevention, diagnosis and monitoring of human diseases; to act as a national control or reference laboratory; and to carry out forensic missions. The LNS also collaborates with the University of Luxembourg and other biomedical research institutions, both nationally and internationally, on research and teaching activities.

In particular, in the field of diagnostics, the LNS covers the following fields of application: medical biology, microbiology, forensic medicine, environmental medicine, morphological and molecular pathology, and clinical genetics, as well as sequencing for rare diseases, oncology and pathogens.

About the department Health Protection

The Department Health Protection supports public health and health care for problems caused or aggravated by the environment, including indoor pollution, the working context, consumer products, and food. We fulfill this mission through servicing including expert advice, through education and through applied research. Our main stakeholders are the hospitals, the ministries and the services for occupational medicine in Luxembourg.

The Service “Medical Expertise and Data Intelligence” hosts the medical, epidemiological and toxicological expertise in the domains of environmental and occupational health/medicine with an expanding team of eight members. The Service supports the new National Service of Environmental Medicine, launched 17 November 2022 at the Centre Hospitalier Emile Mayrisch (CHEM). It also sets-up and carries out the epidemiological public health surveys in environmental and occupational health for Luxembourg. Furthermore, the Service is an active partner in the European Partnership for the Assessment of Risks from Chemicals (PARC), a 7-year science-policy Research & Innovation programme launched in May 2022 and co-funded by the European Union. The “Environmental Hygiene and Human Biological Monitoring” Service, also part of the Health Protection Department, hosts the laboratory expertise in the domains of environmental and occupational health/medicine. The Service carries out laboratory analyses – chemical and microbiological – in dust, air, and surface samples (ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation). In parallel, this Service analyses the concentrations of substances or their metabolites directly in human medical samples, for example blood, urine, hair. The Service measures not only human biomarkers of exposure (ISO/IEC 17025 and ISO 15 189 accreditation), but is expanding its portfolio of human biomarkers of effect relevant in the pathways of disease development and progression. The third Service in the Department, the Service “Food Monitoring” will integrate the new Food and Feed Administration in 2025.

A departmental administrative team and a departmental quality coordination team support the Services and the department head.

Responsibilities :

Data management:

To systematically organize and control the flows of increasing amounts of medical – public health – exposure and biomarker data generated by our team
To design, implement and maintain appropriate databases
To design, implement and maintain the metadata requirements for the different data sets
To ensure valid entry of data, including providing training to staff responsible for manual data entry processes
To improve the digitalization of collections materials such as questionnaires and field sampling tablets

Central data access:

To develop and maintain a data-warehouse at department level with central data access
To integrate data from multiple sources (e.g., environment, human biological monitoring, questionnaires) into this central database
To develop documentation and tutorials to assist users in navigating the database and utilizing available tools (i.e. codebook and SOPs)

Laboratory Automation Support:

To support the process of laboratory automation via the integration of new department-specific laboratory management information system(s) and new technologies

Data security – accreditation – documentation:

To ensure full compliance with laws and regulations covering patient and public health datasets, including GDPR and national requirements
To ensure full compliance with accreditation systems in place in the department (currently ISO/IEC 17025 and ISO 15189 – the intention is to enlarge to ISO 9001 for the epidemiological surveillance)
To ensure the integrity and availability of the data via regular backups

Data analysis and output reporting:

To perform data cleaning, processing, and statistical analysis
To develop clear visualizations to provide data insights
To write reports and publications for medical evidence-based decision taking and science-policy support
To participate in national and international excellence programs, in meetings with stakeholders, and scientific conferences

Profile:

PhD in bio-engineering, medical engineering, bio-informatics, data sciences, or another quantitative science that ensures biological insights in the working of the human body
Track record in the set-up and managing of databases for diverse sets of data and of central data warehouses and data lake set-ups
Track record in the translation of data into clear graphics and reports for healthcare and public health decisions
In-depth knowledge and experience of statistical and analytical modelling techniques (e.g., R, Phyton, SPSS)
Strong experience in project management and proven result-delivery
Scientific track-record in the format of peer-review publications
Excellent organizational and problem-solving skills
Strong networking skills to interact and integrate information from staff from varying expertise-domains (laboratory, medical, epidemiologists, toxicologists, IT-support services, central data management services, etc.)
Fluent in English (oral and written) – advanced level in French (oral and written)

If you meet the above profile and wish to apply, please submit your application (CV and Cover letter) via our website. Your application will be treated confidentiality.

At the final stages of the recruitment process, the successful candidate will be asked to provide supporting documentation such as, copies of diplomas and certificates of employment. An official criminal record (bulletin no.3) will also be required for consultation purpose.

Apply