We have an Medical Research Council studentship at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine for a project that involves developing MCMC methods to tackle a genetic problem. The studentship covers maintenance (about £11-12K/year) plus fees for three years. We are looking for someone with a fairly strong background in probability theory who can program MCMC algorithms. By the end of the PhD they'd be established as a genetic statistician. Career prospects for genetic statisticians are extremely good.
Further details are given below:-
LONDON SCHOOL OF HYGIENE & TROPICAL MEDICINE
DEPARTMENT OF EPIDEMIOLOGY & POPULATION HEALTH
MRC RESEARCH STUDENTSHIP
Applications are invited for a Medical Research Council research studentship on developing statistical methods to identify genes that underlie ethnic differences in disease risk. This studentship will be for a period of three years, and will lead to a PhD. The cost of PhD fees, together with a stipend equivalent to a full postgraduate student allowance (about £11k per annum) will be covered by the studentship.
·The objective of this project is to develop statistical methods for a novel approach to identifying the genes and gene-environment interactions that lead to diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure, based on studying families of mixed descent. We have developed the basic theory underlying this approach, and demonstrated some simple applications using data from human populations. The specific objective is to develop a method that uses simultaneously information from hundreds of markers spaced along the genome to detect genes that underlie ethnic differences in disease risk. This can be tackled by modelling the stochastic variation of ancestry on chromosomes of mixed descent, and using Markov chain Monte Carlo methods to generate the posterior distribution of ancestry conditional on the observed marker genotypes. Statistical inference is based on a hybrid of Bayesian and frequentist approaches. The analytic methods will be tested on simulated data, and on real d!
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a generated in studies of populations of mixed descent in the Caribbean and the USA.
We are looking for a mathematics or statistics graduate with an outstanding academic record including a strong background in probability theory and an aptitude for statistical programming.
No previous experience in genetics or epidemiology is necessary, as we are able to specify the problems to be solved in purely statistical terms. There will however be ample opportunity for the student to acquire a broader grasp of epidemiology and statistical genetics during the course of the project. As post-doctoral genetic statisticians are scarce and highly sought-after, career prospects after completion of the studentship are likely to be excellent.
The studentship is open to UK residents. Nationals of other European Union countries are eligible for support to cover their fees but are not eligible for the stipend.
The Department of Epidemiology & Population Health (EPH) houses the largest group of epidemiologists, statisticians and medical demographers in Europe, together with nutritionists, social scientists and public health practitioners. Research focuses on issues of major public health importance and covers both industrialised and developing countries. EPH has approximately 150 staff members organised into six research units.
Candidates interested in a studentship are welcome to make informal enquiries to Dr Paul McKeigue (e-mail [log in to unmask], telephone 020-7927 2312 or fax 020 7580 6897).
The School is an exempt charity dedicated to providing excellence in teaching, learning and research for the benefit of health worldwide, and is an equal opportunities employer.
Paul McKeigue
Department of Epidemiology and Population Health
London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine
Keppel Street, WC1E 7HT, UK
Tel: +44 (0)20 7927 2312
Fax: +44 (0)20 7580 6897
Email: [log in to unmask]
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