Epidemiologist (Scientist / Postdoc) (m/f/d)

The Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association aims to transform tomorrow’s medicine through our discoveries of today. At locations in Berlin-Buch, Berlin-Mitte, Heidelberg and Mannheim, our scientists collaborate across disciplines to unravel the complexities of disease at the systems level – from molecules and cells to organs and entire organisms. Through strong academic, clinical, and industry partnerships, as well as global networks, we translate biological insights into innovations for early detection, individualized therapies, and disease prevention. Founded in 1992, the Max Delbrück Center is home to a vibrant community of 1,800 people from more than 70 countries.

The Molecular Epidemiology Research Group at the MDC in Berlin-Buch studies the relationship between lifestyle, genetic, metabolic, and environmental factors with risk and outcome of chronic diseases in human populations at the molecular level. The group actively contributes to the German National Cohort (NAKO), a population based prospective cohort study of more than 205,000 participants that aims to examine risk factors for major common chronic diseases in Germany. Since 2014, NAKO participants take part in deep phenotyping examinations (repeated in 5-year intervals), including physical and medical examinations (including MRI measurements), collection of biomaterials, personal interviews, and completion of questionnaires, and are followed-up for incident diseases. Genotyping, whole genome sequencing, and omics analyses of biological samples from study participants is ongoing and is expected to be available in 2026.

We are looking for an epidemiologist with a strong background and expertise in genetic epidemiology, molecular epidemiology, data science or bioinformatics.

Job Description

• planning, management and organization of epidemiologic research projects in the area of molecular and genetic epidemiology (with emphasis on omics technologies)
• development of data analysis plans
• data analysis of complex data from phenotyping, genotyping, sequencing and other omics sources
• collaboration with national and international partners
• presentation at conferences
• publication in national and international peer reviewed journals

Requirements

• master’s degree in epidemiology or public health
• master’s degree in life sciences (nutrition, biology, biochemistry, bioinformatics) or medical degree
• doctoral degree
• experience in the analysis of genetic and molecular data in large human cohort studies
• fluent in English
• experience in the tasks listed in the job description
• we are not looking for persons who in the past have primarily worked in wet labs

We offer

• international working environment with communication in English and German
• interesting career opportunities and a range of opportunities for further qualification and training
• Compatibility of family and career certified by the workandfamily audit (“berufundfamilie audit”)
• Support for "New Berliners" through the MDC Welcome & Family Office

You also benefit from:

• a remuneration in accordance with the collective agreement for the federal public service (TVöD-Bund), including additional company pension schemes
• a secure job
• childcare support
• an idyllic green campus, which is easily accessible by bicycle, public transport or car
• free use of Nextbike from the Buch S-Bahn station to the campus
• Subsidy for the job ticket as well as discounts in the campus canteen
• On-campus health and fitness center
• additional health benefits such as flu vaccination, eye test, ergonomics advice at the workplace