Research and development jobs are a priority for biopharmaceutical companies, recent study finds BioSpace Workforce planning survey in which 60% of respondents said they plan to hire in R&D in 2025. Some also called the oncology sector an area of high demand, but which R&D positions in oncology companies are looking to fill? Computational biology and data science are hot areas for recruiting, according to a talent acquisition executive in the sector.
There is demand for behind-the-computer type roles that are more computationally focused, said Conor Sullivan, managing partner and head of talent acquisition at Harbinger Health, a Cambridge, Mass.-based biotech that is developing technologies for cancer screening and detection. The company uses artificial intelligence to help identify cancer before it becomes visible or symptomatic, with the goal of developing low-cost multi-cancer blood tests.
In the recent BioSpace In the survey, respondents supported Sullivan’s observation about roles behind the computer, noting that structured query language, Python and AI are among the R&D skills they predict will be in high demand in 2025.
Sullivan said. BioSpace that Harbinger has recently focused on computational biology and data science roles that border on machine learning. He said the jobs involve having a good and broad knowledge base that allows employees to leverage more commercially available tools to expand their ability to analyze data.
Several companies have roles in computational biology and data science in oncology, published on the BioSpace website. Recent examples computational biology positions include Senior Principal Scientist, Computational Biology at Amgen and Vice President, Translational Data Science/Computational Biology at Recursion. Recent examples data science Roles include Senior Data Scientist at AbbVie and Vice President, Global Business Digital Insights and Analytics-Oncology at Takeda.
Computational Biology and Data Science Markets Expected to Grow
The importance of computational biology and data science is reflected in their growing market value. THE global computational biology market is expected to grow from $6.6 billion in 2023 to more than $20.5 billion by 2030, according to Coherent Market Insights. The global market intelligence and consulting organization attributes this growth to biopharmaceutical companies’ growing demand for predictive modeling and noted that pharmaceutical companies are using computational biology techniques for drug discovery and development.
THE global data science platform market is expected to grow from $11 billion in 2024 to $45.9 billion in 2031, according to Coherent. The organization attributes this growth to the widespread adoption of data-driven decision-making across various industries. Coherent also noted that the growing focus on generating insights from structured and unstructured data in order to gain competitive advantage may drive demand for data science platforms.
All of this is not to say that oncology laboratory R&D positions are not in demand. For example, Sullivan noted that at Harbinger, there is a significant need for biopharmaceutical professionals with knowledge of the cellular biology behind cancer genesis in order to understand what is happening in the earliest formations of the disease. He said the company’s lab workers typically have a molecular biology background.
Key technical and soft skills: from sequencing to communication
For data science and computational biology roles, Sullivan said Harbinger is looking for biopharmaceutical professionals who understand the epigenetic and methylation changes that occur in genomic data where cancer is present. The company is also looking for people who understand how to translate these changes into biomarkers that allow them to not only understand different types of cancer, but also track their progression. Sullivan said sequencing is a priority in terms of skill sets.
Companies that have posted computational biology jobs on BioSpacelike Amgen and Recursion, have noted interest in technical skills such as bioinformatics expertise; experience with programming languages such as R and Python; and knowledge of platforms and readouts used to evaluate clinical biomarkers, including flow cytometry, immunoassays, and single-cell assays.
Biopharmaceutical companies that have listed data science positions on BioSpacelike AbbVie and Amgen, have the required qualifications, including demonstrated analytical skills; experience in physicochemical or analytical characterization of biological molecules; and experience in developing and implementing patient stratification/precision medicine solutions in clinical development, leveraging multi-omics and clinical data.
Soft skills are also in demand. For example, a recent job posting from Amgen for a position in computational biology cited strong written and oral communication skills, self-motivation, independence and leadership as preferred qualifications. Sullivan emphasized that communication, organization and collaboration are important to Harbinger and especially to small businesses.
“We’re not necessarily looking for the best oncologist in the world, but they need to have those communication skills,” he said, adding that it helps to find a balance between technical and soft skills. “I would say that in any small company (100 or less, even 200 or less), being comfortable, confident and wanting to have that collaboration and communication is really beneficial not only for your career, but also for the the whole company and the team in which you work. with.”
Advice for early career candidates
When it comes to advice for candidates applying for positions in data science and computational biology, Sullivan focused on graduate students looking to develop industry-applicable skills. He recommended learning Python, for example. Sullivan also advised graduate students to work with computational biologists at the school to understand how to analyze and leverage data to accelerate projects.
“Thinking that way, what you’re really doing is you’re being proactive about what other technologies are out there and how I can use those things to advance my goal, my project, my science team,” he said. Sullivan said.
He added: “If you take this proactive approach, think about emerging technologies, look at what the industry is focusing on in some of these job descriptions and try to build partnerships and reach out to groups or individuals who have these characteristics. the skills will really set you apart.
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