Bioinformatics Internship – Brain Disorders Models Research Group

Context

The Fundació Pasqual Maragall was established in 2008 with the mission of promoting and conducting excellent biomedical research. The Foundation is fully committed to making a decisive contribution to finding global solutions to Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, as well as raising public awareness to ensure that scientific efforts to address these challenges receive the priority they deserve. The Foundation's research is carried out at the Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC), a research center established with the participation of Pompeu Fabra University and the "la Caixa" Foundation.

The vision of the Fundació Pasqual Maragall is to achieve "A future without Alzheimer's", within the framework of active and healthy ageing, associated with positive experiences and free from cognitive impairment and decline. To this end, research at the BBRC focuses on the primary and secondary prevention of Alzheimer's disease. This is made possible thanks to the participation of thousands of volunteers who contribute to scientific studies with the aim of reducing the number of people affected by the disease in the near future.

The Fundació Pasqual Maragall is a private, non-profit organization. Its financial resources come from philanthropic donations from organizations and companies, as well as an extensive network of more than 100,000 supporters who help fund research. The research center's scientific staff also secure competitive grants and funding, primarily from European funds and international foundations.

For more information, please visit our website: www.barcelonabeta.org 

The Fundació Pasqual Maragall is a young, well-established and growing organization which, together with the BBRC, currently employs more than 350 people. Its scientific team includes researchers and professionals from fields such as medicine, biology, psychology and nursing, among others. The organization also has cross-functional departments covering Facilities, IT, Finance, Procurement, Human Resources, Communications and Fundraising. All of this takes place in a dynamic environment where ongoing challenges are an integral part of the Foundation's work.

Position Description

The Fundació Pasqual Maragall is looking for a university student to join the Brain Disorders Models Research Group at the Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center (BBRC) for an internship.

The group uses advanced cellular models, such as organoids and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), to investigate the molecular mechanisms involved in the progression of neurodegeneration, particularly Alzheimer's disease.

The aim of the internship is to provide bioinformatics support for the organization, processing, analysis and interpretation of data generated from these models, contributing to the development of reproducible analyses that help characterize biomarkers, molecular processes and factors associated with disease progression.

The student will work closely with the research and laboratory teams, bringing a computational perspective to the group's projects.

Main Responsibilities

The student may participate in the following activities:

• Support the processing, quality control and analysis of biomedical data generated from iPSC-derived cellular models and organoids.
• Develop and adapt scripts and pipelines in Python and/or R for data cleaning, transformation, analysis and visualization.
• Perform exploratory and statistical analyses of molecular data derived from omics datasets.
• Support the integration of experimental data with genetic, biological or clinical information available within the group's projects.
• Consult biological databases and support the functional annotation and interpretation of genes, pathways and molecular processes related to neurodegeneration.
• Document analytical workflows and contribute to reproducible research environments using notebooks, version control and good data management practices.
• Collaborate with researchers, technical staff and data analysts in interpreting results and preparing figures, tables and technical summaries.

Requirements

• Currently enrolled in a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Biotechnology, Biomedicine, Biomedical Engineering, Data Science or a related field with a computational component.
• Programming knowledge in Python and/or R.
• Familiarity with data analysis and visualization tools, as well as basic knowledge of applied statistics.
• Basic knowledge of molecular and cellular biology, genetics or neuroscience.
• Good command of written and spoken English.
• Interest in neurodegeneration and Alzheimer's disease research, as well as the application of bioinformatics to cellular models such as iPSCs and organoids.
• Knowledge of Linux, Git, notebooks, omics data analysis and/or biological databases and bioinformatics tools will be considered an asset.

Personal Competencies

• Analytical skills and critical thinking.
• Strong interest in biomedical research and data analysis.
• Ability to work collaboratively in an interdisciplinary environment involving experimental and computational profiles.
• Proactivity, progressively developing autonomy and a willingness to learn.
• Methodological rigor, organizational skills and a commitment to the quality and reproducibility of analyses.

Position Details

• Internship agreement: Possibility of establishing a university internship agreement.
• Location: Fundació Pasqual Maragall / Barcelonaβeta Brain Research Center, located on the Pompeu Fabra University campus (C/ Wellington, 30, Barcelona). Metro L4 / Tram T4.
• Start date: To be agreed.
• Internship duration: To be determined according to the university internship agreement.
• Working hours and schedule: To be agreed, taking into account compatibility with academic commitments and the needs of the research group.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit:

1. An updated CV (maximum 2 pages).
2. Information on where they found the job advertisement.
3. Their application by email to talent@fpmaragall.org, Subject: Bioinformatics Intern – Brain Disorders Models Research Group

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