EPA Development of Computational Approaches to Model Toxicological Tipping Points
EPA Office/Lab and Location: A research opportunity is available with the Computational Toxicology and Bioinformatics Branch at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Office of Research and Development (ORD), Center for Computational Toxicology and Exposure (CCTE), Biomolecular & Computational Toxicology Division (BCTD) located in Durham, North Carolina.
CCTE is responsible for developing new computational tools and providing quantitative analysis for improving environmental risk assessments and regulatory decisions pertaining to chemical safety and sustainability.
Research Project: This research project aims to develop new computational approaches to estimate toxicological "tipping points" for environmental chemicals using cell-level NAMs data. Tipping points represent system thresholds below which chemical exposures are likely transient and adaptive. Specifically, this research program within the CCTE-BCTD-Computational Toxicology and Bioinformatics Branch will develop computational and experimental approaches to identify tipping points. Tools from this research will enable tiered testing for environmental chemicals, including PFAS, that activate different adaptive stress response pathways.
The research participant will collaborate with multiple investigators spanning molecular biology, toxicology, systems biology, and computational biology. The research participant will assist in developing computational methods for analyzing transcriptomic and other high-throughput data sets, modeling and predicting cellular responses to environmental chemicals, and reporting these findings.
Research activities may include:
- Leadership and hands-on participation in experimental research and data interpretation
- Active participation in meetings of the project team
- Preparing reports, presentations, and summaries of the data
- Presenting at professional meetings
- Authoring manuscripts for publication in peer-reviewed journals
Learning Objectives: The research participant will learn how to:
- Develop computational methods using artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), network and systems modeling
- Model and analyze data from heterogeneous chemical, biological and toxicological data streams
- Synthesize results for publication and presentation
Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Imran Shah (shah.imran@epa.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research please contact the mentor(s).
Anticipated Appointment Start Date: December 1, 2022. All start dates are flexible and vary depending on numerous factors. Click here for detailed information about start dates.
Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for four years and may be renewed up to five years upon EPA recommendation and subject to availability of funding.
Level of Participation: The appointment is full-time.
Participant Stipend: The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience. Click here for detailed information about full-time stipends.
EPA Security Clearance: Completion of a successful background investigation by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is required for an applicant to be on-boarded at EPA.
ORISE Information: This program, administered by ORAU through its contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to manage the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), was established through an interagency agreement between DOE and EPA. Participants do not become employees of EPA, DOE or the program administrator, and there are no employment-related benefits. Proof of health insurance is required for participation in this program. Health insurance can be obtained through ORISE.
ORISE offers all ORISE EPA graduate students and Postdocs a free 5 year membership to the National Postdoctoral Association (NPA).
The successful applicant(s) will be required to comply with Environmental, Safety and Health (ES&H) requirements of the hosting facility, including but not limited to, COVID-19 requirements (e.g. facial covering, physical distancing, testing, vaccination).
Questions: Please see the FAQ section of our website. After reading, if you have additional questions about the application process please email ORISE.EPA.ORD@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.
Qualifications
The qualified candidate should have received a doctoral degree in one of the relevant disciplines or be currently pursuing the degree with completion by June 30, 2023. Degree must have been received within the past five years.
Highly motivated individuals with training in computational biology, bioinformatics, biomedical engineering, biophysics, toxicology or related discipline with experience in large-scale data analysis, modeling and visualization using Python and R are encouraged to apply.