Bioinformatician / Computational Biologist

Introduction

UNIL is a leading international teaching and research institution, with over 5,000 employees and 17,000 students split between its Dorigny campus, CHUV and Epalinges. As an employer, UNIL encourages excellence, individual recognition and responsibility.

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Presentation

The Department of Fundamental Oncology of the University of Lausanne invites applications for the position of Bioinformatician / Computational Biologist in the group of Prof. Alexandre Harari.

This position is embedded within IMPRINT, an applied research project funded by Innosuisse, the Swiss Innovation Agency. IMPRINT is led by Dr. Johanna Chiffelle and Prof. Alexandre Harari, and aims to bring precision immunology to the clinical frontline.

At the heart of IMPRINT lies SEQTR, an immune repertoire sequencing technology. By mapping a patient’s immune fingerprint and coupling it with AI-driven predictive models, the project aims to predict a patient’s response to immunotherapy. Starting with melanoma and lung cancer, the approach will be validated with clinical partners, with the ultimate goal of delivering actionable reports to oncology teams at the point of treatment decision.

This is an opportunity to work at the intersection of cutting-edge immune sequencing, machine learning, and clinical translation in an environment that is actively building the bridge between academic discovery and real-world impact.

Job information

Expected start date in position : 01.09.2026

Contract length : 12 months (with perspective of continuation)

Employment rate : 100%

Workplace : AGORA Cancer Research Center, Lausanne (on-site)

Your responsibilities

Data analysis, predictive modeling and beyond

• Analyze immune repertoire sequencing datasets to develop and refine machine learning models predicting treatment response and identifying biomarkers of immunotherapy efficacy.


• Apply state-of-the-art ML approaches to extract clinically meaningful immune signatures from NGS data.


• Participate in multidisciplinary meetings with clinical partners to understand their data interpretation needs and translate them into actionable analytical outputs.


• Integrate analytical results into clinical-facing dashboards (developed in collaboration with partners), ensuring clarity and usability for non-computational audiences.


• Contribute creative approaches to data visualization.


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Pipeline, platform and knowledge development

• Design, build, and maintain robust, reproducible bioinformatics pipelines for immune repertoire analysis (from raw sequencing data to biological interpretation), applicable across multiple clinical contexts.


• Implement and optimize workflows using best-practice pipeline frameworks and version control (e.g. Git/SVN).


• Contribute to the development of a web-based platform enabling researchers and clinicians to analyze their own immune repertoire sequencing data.


• Stay current with the rapidly evolving landscape of immune repertoire analysis tools, sequencing technologies, and computational methods; proactively integrate relevant advances into ongoing work.


• Participate in scientific writing (manuscripts, conference presentations) and contribute to the dissemination of results.

• Show curiosity and openness toward the broader journey of translating an academic research project into a real-world clinical solution, including an interest in understanding regulatory pathways, product development, and the entrepreneurial ecosystem around precision diagnostics.

Your qualifications

• Master’s degree or higher in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Biostatistics, or Computer Science with a strong biological component


• >2 years of hands-on experience in a bioinformatics or computational biology setting (academic or industry)


• Foundational knowledge in immunology is required; familiarity with the adaptive immune system, T-cell biology, and immune repertoire concepts is essential


• Knowledge of TCR/BCR repertoire sequencing and analysis (CDR3, V(D)J recombination, clonality metrics) is a significant advantage


• Proficiency in Python (e.g. Pandas and Numpy) and/or R (e.g. Tidyverse) for data analysis, statistical modeling, and pipeline scripting


• Experience working in Linux/Unix environments and shell scripting (bash)


• Knowledge of algorithm development and machine learning approaches for large-scale biological datasets (scikit-learn, PyTorch, TensorFlow, or equivalent)


• Familiarity with standard sequencing data formats and methods is a plus


• Comfort with version control (Git), build systems, and collaborative development practices


• Experience with immune repertoire profiling tools and clonotype tracking (e.g. MiXCR, IMGT/HighV-QUEST, VDJtools, ClonoSEQ, or similar) are a plus


• Experience with software pipeline development, workflow automation and structured data management (e.g. SQL) are a plus


• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English


• Collaborative team player, comfortable working across disciplines with biologists, clinicians, and engineers


• Self-motivated and proactive: able to take ownership of tasks and drive them forward with minimal supervision


• Highly organized, rigorous, and attentive to data quality and reproducibility


• Thrives on challenges and enjoys working at the frontier of science and technology

What the position offers you

We offer a nice working place in a multicultural, diversified and dynamic academic environment, opportunities for professional training.

This position is embedded in a multidisciplinary team combining immunology, oncology, computational science, and clinical translation. You will work with unique, cutting-edge proprietary sequencing data and have the opportunity to contribute to science that directly impacts patient care.

Beyond the academic setting, this project is positioned at the frontier of innovation, providing exposure to the full journey from research hypothesis to clinical application, in a context where the ambition to build something durable is very much part of the team’s DNA.

Contact for further information

Dr. Johanna Chiffelle ([email protected])
Prof. Alexandre Harari ([email protected])

Your application

Application deadline : 01.08.2026 

Please include your full application (curriculum vitae, cover letter, the contact details of two references and academic publications if relevant).
Only applications through this website will be taken into account.

We thank you for your understanding.

Job description

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Additional information

UNIL is committed to:
•    equality, diversity and inclusion within its community;
•    ensuring an open and respectful environment that is conducive to personal development;
•    offering working conditions that facilitate work-life balance.

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