Fellowship
The Variant Bio Standley Fellowship
Be part of our unique discovery process to create life-saving therapeutics
![Rindra, a Variant Bio Fellow, speaking to a partner community alongside a Variant Bio team member](https://variant-bio.transforms.svdcdn.com/staging/default/RindraCentered_Tiny.jpg?w=980&h=735&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1686087838&s=d6b55e3fd6b0905a3cbf24f9252de628 980w, https://variant-bio.transforms.svdcdn.com/staging/default/RindraCentered_Tiny.jpg?w=768&h=576&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1686087838&s=3423a9daeead16cf2c420c3a5ac7bf55 768w, https://variant-bio.transforms.svdcdn.com/staging/default/RindraCentered_Tiny.jpg?w=640&h=480&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1686087838&s=21b15854c67aa9fc759831268cb28fa3 640w, https://variant-bio.transforms.svdcdn.com/staging/default/RindraCentered_Tiny.jpg?w=480&h=360&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1686087838&s=a48e3ef5cb61352480d9446acdd489b1 480w)
A unique opportunity
The Variant Bio Standley Fellowship is a chance for highly talented individuals to work with the company to form partnerships with populations with specific health-related traits and analyze genomic data. Our Fellows can be based in the US or across the globe and have various backgrounds in medicine, biological anthropology, computational biology, statistics, or other life sciences.
![Tyler Standley climbing a hill with a body of water in the far distance.](https://variant-bio.transforms.svdcdn.com/staging/default/tyler-standley.jpg?w=1536&h=1152&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1683664112&s=9cb49c4cab3d1fde9c2a65c8ca646400 1536w, https://variant-bio.transforms.svdcdn.com/staging/default/tyler-standley.jpg?w=1376&h=1032&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1683664112&s=179aa40055c995980ecbb07aa70e6a46 1376w, https://variant-bio.transforms.svdcdn.com/staging/default/tyler-standley.jpg?w=1280&h=960&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1683664112&s=b112ddd1e259ca46429233da882ec37f 1280w, https://variant-bio.transforms.svdcdn.com/staging/default/tyler-standley.jpg?w=980&h=735&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1683664112&s=aec1c0c965572019f09d8065d8330f2a 980w, https://variant-bio.transforms.svdcdn.com/staging/default/tyler-standley.jpg?w=768&h=576&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1683664112&s=ba0781f221708b283c278f6240129980 768w, https://variant-bio.transforms.svdcdn.com/staging/default/tyler-standley.jpg?w=640&h=480&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1683664112&s=ae821640240d0434dc9aa994805bf267 640w, https://variant-bio.transforms.svdcdn.com/staging/default/tyler-standley.jpg?w=480&h=360&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1683664112&s=742e6b37d46710ec12d66195952a94be 480w)
Remembering Tyler Standley
Tyler Standley (1993-2021) joined the Variant Bio team in 2019 as one of our first employees and made an indelible impact on the company from day one. He met every challenge (and there were many) with eagerness and a view toward contributing to the greater good. From the highest peaks, the deepest seas, and everywhere in between, he knew how to take advantage of all the beautiful opportunities life has to offer. We consider ourselves deeply honored to have been a part of Tyler’s life and will always be grateful for the example he set on how to be an unrelentlessly genuine human being. He left the world a better place not only through his words, but his actions, too. Variant Bio is committed to remembering the legacy of Tyler Standley through his virtues of passion, compassion, integrity, and fairness.
How does the program work?
We select 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 Standley 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.
How do I apply?
If you are interested in joining the The Variant Bio Standley Fellowship Program, please email your CV to fellows@variantbio.com and provide any additional information you may feel is useful for us to know about your experience and/or any particular areas of interest. Once we are able to review your application we will contact you with any next steps.
Meet our former Fellows
Isabella Apriyana currently works as a researcher at the Mochtar Riady Institute for Nanotechnology (MRIN) in Tangerang, near Jakarta. She has a B.Sc in biotechnology (majoring in molecular biology) from Atma Jaya University in Jakarta. Isabella received an Australia Awards Scholarship in 2018 and completed her master’s degree at the Australian National University where she studied biological anthropology. As a Fellow, Isabella works on a collaborative project between MRIN and Variant Bio, which focuses on understanding the genetic diversity of populations in Indonesia and searching for novel, disease-associated genetic variants on the archipelago.
![Headshot of a woman](https://variant-bio.transforms.svdcdn.com/staging/default/Mouna-with-background-TinyPNG.jpg?w=1536&h=1587&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1696880389&s=68d443907becbbfada5a8ff7d6e1f205 1536w, https://variant-bio.transforms.svdcdn.com/staging/default/Mouna-with-background-TinyPNG.jpg?w=1376&h=1421&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1696880389&s=b4fdccf0e3844b34e9295f43ea0a4a13 1376w, https://variant-bio.transforms.svdcdn.com/staging/default/Mouna-with-background-TinyPNG.jpg?w=1280&h=1322&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1696880389&s=45098256fb4651c6d6a0eab0290ea73a 1280w, https://variant-bio.transforms.svdcdn.com/staging/default/Mouna-with-background-TinyPNG.jpg?w=980&h=1012&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1696880389&s=b27046f229bdd5c413814231cd4d044b 980w, https://variant-bio.transforms.svdcdn.com/staging/default/Mouna-with-background-TinyPNG.jpg?w=768&h=793&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1696880389&s=87b833280c0b6b6e26e8c67d0e589ea9 768w, https://variant-bio.transforms.svdcdn.com/staging/default/Mouna-with-background-TinyPNG.jpg?w=640&h=661&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1696880389&s=adcbbc17670b68217b359864ccbda933 640w, https://variant-bio.transforms.svdcdn.com/staging/default/Mouna-with-background-TinyPNG.jpg?w=480&h=496&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1696880389&s=8c13078272628abaf8453c33737ab008 480w)
Mouna Hadrami Saleck received her PhD in Molecular Biology from the University of Nouakchott Al Aasriya and is based in Nouakchott, Mauritania. Dr. Hadrami Saleck has researched and published on glaucoma candidate genes in Mauritanian families with primary congenital glaucoma. As a part of her Fellowship, Dr. Hadrami Saleck researched potential projects on common disease in her home country, Mauritania.
![Headshot of Iman Hamid](https://variant-bio.transforms.svdcdn.com/staging/default/Iman_WebsiteHeadshot_800px_2023-06-07-220809_nymc.jpg?w=768&h=768&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1688753378&s=4af1b8baabd46342e7ef4f2edbc63e1b 768w, https://variant-bio.transforms.svdcdn.com/staging/default/Iman_WebsiteHeadshot_800px_2023-06-07-220809_nymc.jpg?w=640&h=640&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1688753378&s=077ca1ef5fad19cf1d9034bb0fa902b9 640w, https://variant-bio.transforms.svdcdn.com/staging/default/Iman_WebsiteHeadshot_800px_2023-06-07-220809_nymc.jpg?w=480&h=480&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1688753378&s=e4034ae0b4ef1d933c3c1eb379cfba0d 480w)
Iman Hamid received her PhD Duke University where she developed genomic methods to study populations with recently mixed ancestry. These populations are often excluded from genomic studies due to a lack of applicable methodology, so Iman hopes that her work can help expand the diversity of groups that benefit from genomic research. As a fellow, she assisted with identifying genetic variants associated with clinically relevant traits in admixed populations. Iman shared her experience in the program through a blog post.
![](https://variant-bio.transforms.svdcdn.com/staging/default/Anezka-Hoskin-Website-800px.png?w=768&h=768&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1690504736&s=ee2df1b63b19651a3519c51f7637e8ee 768w, https://variant-bio.transforms.svdcdn.com/staging/default/Anezka-Hoskin-Website-800px.png?w=640&h=640&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1690504736&s=40ff056a187c67f7a8ab8ac79b25d923 640w, https://variant-bio.transforms.svdcdn.com/staging/default/Anezka-Hoskin-Website-800px.png?w=480&h=480&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1690504736&s=30e867d81dda5818da8b3a79e84714ed 480w)
Anezka Hoskin, MSc worked as a fellow 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
![Headshot of a woman](https://variant-bio.transforms.svdcdn.com/staging/default/Megan-Leask-Headshot-Sharp-TinyPNG.jpeg?w=1536&h=1536&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1696880296&s=00aa2e4d52edb832beb6a568de99d7e3 1536w, https://variant-bio.transforms.svdcdn.com/staging/default/Megan-Leask-Headshot-Sharp-TinyPNG.jpeg?w=1376&h=1376&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1696880296&s=c4db6bb2e799149495217406b13a8a56 1376w, https://variant-bio.transforms.svdcdn.com/staging/default/Megan-Leask-Headshot-Sharp-TinyPNG.jpeg?w=1280&h=1280&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1696880296&s=0e61ae9b65dc2604e2bf6672986d189a 1280w, https://variant-bio.transforms.svdcdn.com/staging/default/Megan-Leask-Headshot-Sharp-TinyPNG.jpeg?w=980&h=980&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1696880296&s=339b9b4d5a78c4e6d62b85394cedc0de 980w, https://variant-bio.transforms.svdcdn.com/staging/default/Megan-Leask-Headshot-Sharp-TinyPNG.jpeg?w=768&h=768&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1696880296&s=a12edfcae46d7eda70c22474f3bc623d 768w, https://variant-bio.transforms.svdcdn.com/staging/default/Megan-Leask-Headshot-Sharp-TinyPNG.jpeg?w=640&h=640&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1696880296&s=4342d1b9e153c0ee63992c3a3612f0c5 640w, https://variant-bio.transforms.svdcdn.com/staging/default/Megan-Leask-Headshot-Sharp-TinyPNG.jpeg?w=480&h=480&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1696880296&s=ca63aa7ced59afb563682c364dd24df0 480w)
Megan Leask is a Māori (Kāi Tahu/Kāti Māmoe) early career researcher currently working at the University of Alabama at Birmingham as an Instructor. She completed her PhD in 2014 in Genomics. Her current research explores the genetic mechanisms that underpin gout and other related metabolic disease with a focus on the unique genetics of Māori and Pacific peoples. As a Fellow, Megan is studying the role of gout-associated genes in the immune response.
![Headshot of Jaye Moors](https://variant-bio.transforms.svdcdn.com/staging/default/Jaye_WebsiteHeadshot_800px_2023-06-07-220555_adie.jpg?w=768&h=768&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1688753408&s=7684adca3333a2f23e5b96d2444fa567 768w, https://variant-bio.transforms.svdcdn.com/staging/default/Jaye_WebsiteHeadshot_800px_2023-06-07-220555_adie.jpg?w=640&h=640&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1688753408&s=99687c9f1fc6828d5d06f7cc0fefaf2d 640w, https://variant-bio.transforms.svdcdn.com/staging/default/Jaye_WebsiteHeadshot_800px_2023-06-07-220555_adie.jpg?w=480&h=480&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1688753408&s=fb2344f56fd8794d926f74fef3a19321 480w)
Jaye Moors is a Samoan scientist and researcher who recently completed her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Otago in Aotearoa New Zealand. Her research explored the environmental and genetic influences on obesity and cardiometabolic disease in Pacific peoples. As a Fellow, Jaye supports and executes Variant Bio’s projects that have been co-designed with communities in Oceania to explore and identify novel disease-associated genetic variations. Jaye's work is guided by the principles of Pacific research – humility, respect, reciprocity, building and maintaining meaningful relationships, and shared responsibility. These values ensure safe and solution-focused approaches, eliminate the stigma associated with disease, and promote and maximize beneficial health outcomes for the communities she will work with. After completing her Fellowship, Jaye joined our Partnerships Team
![Headshot of a man, smiling](https://variant-bio.transforms.svdcdn.com/staging/default/Rindra-Background-TinyPNG.jpg?w=1536&h=1536&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1696880327&s=4c45c5358cedc3b0ee5baba40e3f65a2 1536w, https://variant-bio.transforms.svdcdn.com/staging/default/Rindra-Background-TinyPNG.jpg?w=1376&h=1376&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1696880327&s=869aa85ffde34f13fe56d8113ad55ae7 1376w, https://variant-bio.transforms.svdcdn.com/staging/default/Rindra-Background-TinyPNG.jpg?w=1280&h=1280&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1696880327&s=6f91180c7247a8fbd404a0e9a4780130 1280w, https://variant-bio.transforms.svdcdn.com/staging/default/Rindra-Background-TinyPNG.jpg?w=980&h=980&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1696880327&s=370aeddd57b35e54155cbc1b56b51c4a 980w, https://variant-bio.transforms.svdcdn.com/staging/default/Rindra-Background-TinyPNG.jpg?w=768&h=768&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1696880327&s=ea8d80b5f34690fbe93e315666d20855 768w, https://variant-bio.transforms.svdcdn.com/staging/default/Rindra-Background-TinyPNG.jpg?w=640&h=640&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1696880327&s=04b62cd22b78d47da8e7110938eac55a 640w, https://variant-bio.transforms.svdcdn.com/staging/default/Rindra-Background-TinyPNG.jpg?w=480&h=480&q=82&auto=format&fit=crop&dm=1696880327&s=d597575fc54d18b4db9eb976a03befca 480w)
Rindra Rakotoarivony is currently a temporary teacher and researcher at the University of Antananarivo, Madagascar. He has a Ph.D. in Human Population Genetics from a collaboration between the University of Antananarivo and Pennsylvania State University. He led the community engagement and sampling processes of the genetic diversity and health project in Madagascar, which is a collaboration between his university and Variant Bio. As a fellow, he developed benefit sharing programs with local communities in Madagacar and design an expanded followup project.