Variant Bio Fellowship Program Announcement
Be part of our unique discovery process to create life-saving therapeutics!
About Variant Bio:
Variant Bio is taking a revolutionary approach to genomic drug discovery and attempting to improve global health all while preserving a strong foundation of ethical principles. In an effort to better understand the various scientific and social contexts in which we work, and to more effectively engage with potential partner communities around the world, we are launching the Variant Bio Fellowship Program.
Previous genomic drug discovery efforts to identify genes contributing to medically relevant traits center around analyzing genetic databases of individuals of predominantly European ancestry. However, this is problematic because these databases capture just a tiny sliver of global genetic diversity, and few people with exceptional health-related traits. Instead, Variant Bio works with populations across the globe who have adapted to their environments in unique ways or have higher frequencies of certain traits or diseases. We co-design powerful and collaborative projects with our partners and use our cutting-edge sequencing technology to identify therapeutic targets. Read more about our approach and mission here.
It is our belief that through the Variant Bio Fellowship Program, we will be able to co-design more effective and mutually beneficial projects.
The Variant Bio Fellowship:
The Variant Bio Fellowship is a unique opportunity for highly talented individuals to work with the company in order to identify and form partnerships with populations with exceptional health-related traits. Our Fellows can be based in the US or across the globe and have various backgrounds in medicine, biological anthropology, and life science. Variant Bio selects Fellows who are curious and have an entrepreneurial mindset to be part of our unique discovery process and catalyze new projects with world-changing potential. It is our philosophy that the value of our Fellows extends beyond the mere executional dimension of their work. As a Fellow you will also join an exceptional network of scientists, and your voice will be included as an important part of the company’s dialogue with partner individuals, populations, and organizations.
The Variant Bio Fellowship is a paid program, operates remotely on a rolling basis, and requires a minimum of 12 weeks commitment. You will have the rare opportunity of working with an innovative biotech startup and interacting with a talented international team of interdisciplinary scientists, anthropologists, and business leaders.
We are excited about the opportunity to have Fellows formally join our mission while leveraging their career in biotech or beyond in order to make an impact on human health, and to benefit underrepresented populations around the world.
We are proud to announce our first Variant Bio Fellows:
Anezka Hoskin, MSc recently joined as the first Variant Bio Fellow and will be working to identify potential collaborations with Māori and Pacific Islander communities. Being Māori herself, Anezka is excited by the opportunity to learn more about the effect that genetic variation has had on her community for over one thousand years.
“My ambitions in the field of medical genetics have been shaped by the experiences of my family and my people: the Māori people of New Zealand.” — Anezka Hoskin
Mouna Hadrami Saleck, PhD will begin her role as a Variant Bio Fellow in early March 2021. Dr. Hadrami Saleck recently received her PhD in Molecular Biology from the University of Nouakchott Al Aasriya and is currently based in Nouakchott, Mauritania. She has researched and published on glaucoma candidate genes in Mauritanian families with primary congenital glaucoma. As a part of her Fellowship, she will research potential projects on common disease in her home country, Mauritania.
Interested in becoming a Variant Bio Fellow?
Please fill out our Application Form available here and submit your CV. For further questions contact us: fellowships@variantbio.com.
For more information visit Variant Bio’s website and read more about our approach and mission.
