Doctoral Researcher (m/f/d)

Die Medizinische Hochschule Hannover (MHH), mit rund 10.000 Beschäftigten größter Landesbetrieb des Landes Niedersachsen, ist eine universitäre Einrichtung für Forschung und Lehre in der Human- und Zahnmedizin und ein Universitätsklinikum der Supramaximalversorgung. Forschung, Lehre, Krankenversorgung und Administration arbeiten im Integrationsmodell auf dem MHH-Campus Hand in Hand.

About Us

The Department of Human Genetics at Hannover Medical School is one of the largest academic human genetics institutions in Germany, integrating comprehensive clinical diagnostics, translational research, and academic education. Supported by modern high-throughput technologies, our research directly serves patient care by uncovering the genomic determinants of rare diseases, identifying cancer risk factors, and changing lives through precise diagnostics.

In this setting close to clinical application with availability of large-scale data, we are seeking a dedicated bioinformatics PhD student to join the Professorship for Genomic Data Science, which focuses on developing algorithms, statistical methods, and software to automatically detect and analyze complex genetic variations in large-scale datasets.

Your Responsibilities

• Drive a cutting-edge genomics project focused on developing algorithms to efficiently process large, long-read whole-genome sequencing datasets.
• Design and program an innovative software tool for structural variant detection.
• Benchmark and validate your tool using both synthetic data and real patient datasets to ensure its clinical utility.
• Continuously monitor the international state of research in structural variation detection.
• Share your findings with the scientific community by co-authoring high-impact publications and presenting them at international conferences.

Your Qualifications

• M.Sc. degree in bioinformatics, computational biology, computer science, data science, or a related field.
• Strong interest in the biological and computational questions arising from genome sequencing and human genomic variation.
• High motivation to develop algorithms and statistical models, and to implement and evaluate them using C++ and Python. Proven programming experience is a plus.
• Comfortable working with the Linux command line, version control (Git), and high-performance computing (HPC) environments.
• Proficiency in file formats, tools and workflows for WGS data analysis is a plus.
• Genuine enthusiasm for scientific research, curiosity, and a willingness to explore new questions and develop new skills.

Excellent communication skills and the ability to work both independently and collaboratively as part of a research team.

We offer

• An interdisciplinary project where your computational developments contribute to uncovering the genetic basis of disease and improving patient outcomes.
• The possibility to obtain a PhD degree within an experienced and supportive bioinformatics team.
• An open, international, and interdisciplinary working environment bringing together physicians, scientists, and computational staff to bridge the gap between research and clinical application.
• Access to modern computational infrastructure, including direct utilization of the MHH's centrally managed high-performance computing (HPC) cluster.
• Targeted professional development and career advancement opportunities designed for early-career scientists.
• A 3-year, full-time position at one of the largest academic medical centers and employers in Lower Saxony

Depending on the candidate's individual qualifications, remuneration of up to pay grade E 13 in accordance with the TV-L collective agreement may be offered, including the benefits of the German public sector, such as an occupational pension scheme and supplementary pension insurance through VBL.