DESCRIPTION

The Agricultural Research Service, Foreign Animal Disease Unit at Plum Island is seeking a highly skilled molecular computational biologist to serve as a consultant and resource to help improve the design of experiments and drive the analysis of complex data sets in a research program related to the study of genetic factors involved with microbial pathogenesis and host response. In this position, you will actively collaborate with other scientists and serve as a technical resource and advisor in the areas of computational biology, genomics, phylogenetic analyses, computational and analytical methods applied to host and viral genome data sets, such as those generated through microarrays, proteomics analyses and similar methodologies. Specific duties include using computational biology approaches to investigate viral and host genomics and phenotypic data to understand the disease processes; using, refining, and developing constructive methods for sequence analysis that identify conserved, variable and functional domains in viral genomes; conducting phylogenetic analyses of pathogens; and using sophisticated mathematical, statistical, and computational approaches to understanding the genetic basis of animal disease and immune response.

BACKGROUND

The subject position is located within the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Foreign Animal Disease Research Unit (FADRU) at the Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Long Island New York. The mission of the FADRU is to develop scientific knowledge that will lead to prevention and control measures against foreign animal diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), classical swine fever (CSF) and vesicular stomatitis (VS) among others. The unit?s activities comprise molecular pathogenesis, novel strategies for vaccine and antiviral development, functional genomics, host genetic resistance and epidemiology of foreign animal diseases affecting primarily livestock species (cattle and swine).

POSITION TITLE/SERIES/GRADE:
Molecular Computational Biologist GS-0401-13/14 Promotion Potential: GS-14

EMPLOYMENT TYPE:
Full-time - Permanent

GRADE AND SALARY RANGE:
GS-13 $78,012.00 - $101,413.00 Per Year GS-14 $92,186.00 - $119,844.00 Per Year

LOCALE:
Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Foreign Animal Disease Research Unit, Orient Point, NY

WHO CAN APPLY

All U.S. Citizens
(You must include a statement in your application that you are a U.S. citizen to be considered for this position)

OPENING DATE:
July 25, 2005

EARLY CUT-OFF DATE

September 1, 2005

DEADLINE:
December 29, 2005

For copies of vacancy announcements and/or application materials, please call (301) 504-1482. For additional information regarding employment opportunities, please visit http://www.afm.ars.usda.gov/hrd/jobs/apply.htm

HOW TO APPLY

Contact Information
Technical :
Luis L. Rodriguez DVM, Ph.D.
Foreign Animal Disease Research Unit
USDA/ARS Plum Island Animal Disease Center
P.O. Box 848 Greenport NY 11944
Tel. 631 323 3364, Lab. 631 323 3266
Fax: 631 323 3006

Human Resources Specialist:
Roberta Saah
(301) 504-1334
Location Contact Information:
Linda Fenton
(631) 323-3191
DC Relay Service: (202) 855-1234 (TDD)
Send Applications to:
USDA, Agricultural Research Service
Human Resources Division
Attn: Roberta Saah
5601 Sunnyside Avenue, Stop 5104
Beltsville, MD 20705-5104
Fax: (301) 504-1535
E-mail: scirecruit[at]ars.usda.gov