Sessional Lecturer - MMG3002Y: Biological Statistics - Emergency Posting

at  University of Toronto

Job Field: CUPE 3902 Unit 3
Faculty / Division: Temerty Faculty of Medicine
Department: Molecular Genetics
Campus: St. George (downtown Toronto)
Job Posting: August 15, 2024
Job Closing: August 23, 2024, 11:59pm EST
Course number and title: MMG3002Y: Biological Statistics

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This graduate short course is an integral component of the MHSc Medical Genomics program, and is restricted to students enrolled in that program.
The course recognizes that the ability to effectively analyze genomic data requires a strong foundation in both bioinformatics and statistics. It begins with an introduction to major computer programing concepts using the R coding language and the UNIX shell. Students are taught statistical theory and perform statistical tests using R to analyze biological datasets. This course focuses on practical knowledge, with interspersed discussions of how genomics integrates into the larger fields of statistics, computer science and applied math. By the end of this course, students will be able to:
1) Use the UNIX shell (command line) and associated concepts and tools.
2) Understand major computer programming concepts.
3) Select and perform appropriate statistical analyses on biological datasets in R.
This course is comprised of a combination of lecture, assignment, and testes learning, and will include primarily the assessment of individual work.
Estimated TA support: 100 hours
Estimated course enrolment: 25
Class schedule: Three lectures and one tutorial weekly
Sessional dates of appointment: September 1st – December 15th 2024
Salary: $9,457.90 for Sessional Lecturer I; $9,930.79 for Sessional Lecturer I Long Term;
$10,121.77 for Sessional Lecturer II; $10,362.76 for Sessional Lecturer III, inclusive of vacation pay
Please note that should rates stipulated in the collective agreement vary from rates stated in this posting, the rates stated in the collective agreement shall prevail.

QUALIFICATIONS:

The applicant must hold an advanced degree (PhD) in the field of genetics, genomics, molecular biology, computational biology or biostatistics / bioinformatics. Preference will be given to applicants with some previous teaching experience at the University level.

This posting is hiring for a course coordinator and partial instructor for MMG3002Y, which is team-taught with three other instructors. The course is structured as two two-hour lecture/tutorials delivered by instructors, and one two-hour tutorial delivered by teaching assistants each week. The instructor is expected to teach a two-week module in the course on working with big data specifically focused on cluster and cloud computing. The instructor is also expected to prepare for the lectures, tutorials and assignments beforehand based on existing content, and to answer student questions. The candidate is also expected to deliver the introductory lecture on the first day of class, to act as the primary point of contact for students and other instructors throughout the semester, to invigilate the final term test of the semester, and to deliver intermitted extra help sessions for students focused on essentials of the R statistical language outside of class throughout the first half of the semester. The approximate time commitment is ~2-3 hours per week for the weeks when not teaching, and ~6 hours per week when teaching.
The course has been taught for five years. The successful applicant will be working with the course materials of the professor who previously taught this course as well as other members of the teaching team, and will have the support of the program directors. A complete course syllabus, course slides, assignments and answer keys / rubrics, and other critical components have already been designed, optimized, and used successfully, and a comprehensive curriculum assessment dossier will also be provided. Modifications to the content will likely be required for use this year.