Data Analyst

The analyst will become an integral member of PINC. In their role, they will use state-of-the-art brain imaging techniques and targeted proteomics to explore the role of restrictive eating disorders on structural brain changes across the children, adolescents, and young adults. The individual will spend their research time working within the multidisciplinary team of the Psychiatric Neuroimaging Laboratory (PNL) at Brigham and Women's Hospital and MEDRC. This office is located at Assembly Row in Somerville, Massachusetts.

This is an ideal position for those wanting to take apply their computational skills to clinically meaningful research, as individuals prepare for doctoral programs, such as clinical psychology, or medical school. Our team has a strong track record of mentoring junior colleagues who have gone on to pursue medical school or doctoral programs in clinical psychology, cognitive neuroscience, neuroscience, public health, and bioinformatics.

Fostering diversity in the scientific research workforce is a key goal of the MEDRC. Thus, additional funding, support, and mentorship is available for individuals from a diverse background, including those from groups demonstrated to be underrepresented in the biomedical, behavioral, clinical, and social sciences.

The successful candidate will engage with two complementary research areas:

1. Psychiatric omics and neuroimaging to explore brain changes associated with restrictive eating disorders such as Anorexia Nervosa (AN) and Atypical Anorexia Nervosa (AT-AN). The candidate may be involved in assisting with two on-going studies:

I. HEART: Investigates amygdala-related neural mechanisms underlying restrictive eating behavior. Involves neuroimaging, biosample collection, and clinical assessments in individuals with and without AN. Tasks may include:

• A. Pre-processing and organizing raw neuroimaging data from MRI scans.
• B. Assisting in the refinement and maintenance of pipelines for analyzing structural and functional MRI data.
• C. Cleaning and preparing imaging and clinical datasets for statistical and thematic analyses.

II. REACT: Aims to determine whether estrogen replacement therapy improves cognitive flexibility and reward responsiveness in adolescents and young women with restrictive eating or excessive exercise. Tasks may include:

• A. Cleaning, curating, and standardizing the longitudinal study dataset
• B. Supporting the implementation of statistical models to assess treatment effects over time

2. Neuroimmune disorders, specifically PANS (Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome) and PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections), using targeted proteomics and machine learning to identify disease-specific biomarkers.

I. Neuroimmune disorders, including PANDAS and PANS, are proposed diagnoses illustrating a clinical picture of acute onset obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) or restrictive eating with underlying immune dysregulation driving symptom onset. No biomarkers have been identified for PANS/PANDAS, leaving families and clinicians relying on symptom presentations that overlap with traditional OCD and restrictive eating disorders, which are more commonly diagnosed and may overshadow an underlying PANS/PANDAS diagnosis. As a result, novel treatments designed to target the potential behavioral symptom pathogenesis. (e.g., inflammation and/or infection) have not been explored or developed. As part of this project, the individual will work with the study team members to continue building on models that identify potential disease specific biomarkers for PANS/PANDAS using the largest and most comprehensive dataset of patients of PANS/PANDAS symptoms.

II. Comparative Proteomic Analysis of Flare and Remission Phases in PANS and PANDAS. This expands on preliminary findings suggesting unique protein expression patterns for PANDAS, distinct from other disorders with overlapping symptoms. The candidate will participate in a follow-up study analyzing protein expression patterns in various states (flare vs. remission and control groups) using targeted proteomics and machine learning. Tasks will include:

• A. Conducting comprehensive data normalization, batch effect corrections, and differential expression analyses.
• B. Integrating and contextualizing results across flare, remission, and control datasets.

Main Responsibilities:

• Assist in the design and statistical analysis of studies exploring inflammation-associated proteins in OCD and PANS/PANDAS.
• Perform targeted proteomics analysis and manage proteomic data, creating reproducible visualizations and summary statistics.
• Apply advanced machine learning techniques to identify biomarkers and differentiate symptom states (i.e. flare vs. remission).
• Analyze structural neuroimaging data (e.g., MRI) using established pipelines (Freesurfer, FSL, SPM) and BIDS imaging structure.
• Prepare and manage datasets for publication, contribute to scientific manuscripts, collaborate on presentations at scientific conferences, and assist in the submission of future grant proposals and R01 applications.
• Develop models for person-specific inflammation protein expression levels and contribute to diagnostic tool development.
• Maintain and regularly update GitHub repositories ensuring transparency and reproducibility.
• Participate in coordination research activities, including securing IRB submissions, finalizing study logistics, and coordinating with proteomic analysis providers.
• Train and mentor incoming team members in statistical and proteomic analyses.

Optional Training and Clinical Opportunities (Based on Interest):

• Administer structured clinical interviews and diagnostic assessments, enriching your clinical experience.
• Gain hands-on experience operating 7T MRI scanners, while becoming certified.
• Receive training in research phlebotomy and assist with biological sample collection, including blood and cerebrospinal fluid.
• Engage in direct patient interaction during study and clinical visits.
• Deepen your understanding of eating disorders and neuropsychiatric conditions through mentorship from leading clinical psychologists and endocrine specialists.

Qualifications:

Please make sure to discuss qualifications in your cover letter and provide relevant examples in your sample code/GitHub.

• Master's degree in Biostatistics, Statistics, Computational Neuroscience, Bioinformatics, or related fields preferred. Bachelor's Degree Analytics required or Bachelor's Degree Related Field of Study required
• Proficiency with statistical software (e.g., R is required; Python, SAS, Stata) and machine learning platforms and techniques.
• Familiarity or strong interest in proteomics data analysis is highly desirable.
• Experience or interest in neuroimaging data analysis and familiarity with imaging data structure (BIDS).
• Strong quantitative skills and experience applying statistical methods to biological and clinical data.
• Excellent communication and teamwork abilities within multidisciplinary teams.
• Independent and highly organized, capable of managing multiple projects and deadlines.

What we Offer:

• Robust mentorship and career development opportunities geared towards successful progression into doctoral and medical programs.
• *Collaborative and interdisciplinary environment actively fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• *Meaningful contribution to cutting-edge clinical research with significant real-world impact.

Application Process:

Interested candidates should submit the following materials:

• Cover Letter detailing your interest and suitability for the role
• Curriculum Vitae or Resume
• Contact information for two professional references
• Code sample from a project you developed independently, accompanied by a brief description of the project's purpose and functionality. Submissions in any programming language are welcome, though R or Python is preferred.

We look forward to welcoming individuals dedicated to making impactful scientific contributions through innovative research.

Experience
Data Analysis Experience 1-3 year preferred