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Is a postdoctoral position in computational biology possible after a biology PhD?

 My PhD involved traditional molecular biology techniques, but my project generated large datasets that required basic bioinformatics. This exposure sparked my interest, and I've been self-learning Python and R. I'm concerned, however, that my lack of a formal computational degree might be a significant barrier to securing a competitive postdoc in this space.

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By Shreya K Answered 9 months ago

Absolutely, it is not only possible but increasingly common. From my experience on hiring committees, what matters most is demonstrable skill and genuine project fit, not your original degree title. I have seen successful transitions where candidates proactively built a portfolio—like re-analyzing their own thesis data with advanced code or contributing to an open-source bioinformatics project. I would recommend targeting labs that explicitly value hybrid wet-dry approaches. Your experimental insight is a unique strength, but you must convincingly show coding proficiency through a GitHub repository or a relevant project you can discuss in depth.

 

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