Data Science Intern

About the role

The Data Science Intern will support a research project using paired genomic and health data from gorillas and meerkats to identify genetic predictors of health conditions, including cardiomyopathy. Because cardiomyopathy occurs in both humans and managed non‑human primates and these species share a close evolutionary relationship, studying the biology of this condition in non‑human primates can help elucidate genetic predictors of cardiomyopathy in humans while removing common confounding variables such as smoking and differential access to healthcare. The internship lasts 16 weeks (640 hours) and provides training in computational genomics as well as experience with the full lifecycle of scientific genomics research. The position is administered through Zoo New England but will be based at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.

Responsibilities

• Process and manage large, next‑generation genomic datasets.
• Work on a computer server using Unix environments and shell scripting.
• Perform genomic data processing, quality control, and genotyping.
• Conduct genome‑wide association studies (GWAS) to investigate genetic predictors of cardiomyopathy.
• Develop and apply statistical models to genomic and health data, primarily in R.
• Create clear visualizations of genomic and statistical results.
• Use GitHub to document, track, and manage analytical code.
• Review results with research mentors and contribute to scientific interpretation.
• Document methods and findings for presentations, reports, and scientific manuscripts.
• Collaborate with researchers at the Center for Zoonomics and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard.
• Potentially contribute as a co‑author to a scientific publication.

Qualifications

• Must be a resident of Massachusetts.
• Master’s degree in bioinformatics or a related field.
• Experience working with genomic data.