Research Assistant or Associate in Computational Genomics (Imperial)

Vacancy Reference Number

MED04893

Closing Date

8 Nov 2024

Salary

£43,003 - £56,345 per annum

Address

UK Dementia Research Institute, Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, White City Campus

Duration

This post has funding till 30/4/2028, with the potential for a 6 month extension.

Dementia is the biggest health challenge of our century. 

To date there is no way to prevent it or even slow its progression, and there is an urgent need to fill the knowledge gap in our basic understanding of the diseases that cause it. 

The UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI) is the biggest UK initiative driving forward research to fill this gap. 

The UK DRI at Imperial brings together researchers from diverse backgrounds with fresh perspectives, drawing on the university’s unique strengths, resources and focus on science, engineering, medicine and business. The team recognises that the challenges of dementia demand new concepts, new approaches and a diverse range of new research tools and directions. Their holistic approach views the ageing brain in the context of the ageing body, not in isolation. 

You will lead one or more projects characterizing the relationship between brain and blood cell types to interpret Parkinson’s disease. 

Applications are invited for a Research Assistant/ Associate to join the lab of Dr Cynthia Sandor. Today, over 1 million people in the UK are living with dementia and related neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease. 

The impact of these incurable and progressive conditions on individuals and their families is devastating. The cost to the economy and public services is large and growing as the UK population ages. 

We are a globally leading multidisciplinary research institute of over 900 staff investigating the spectrum of neurodegenerative disorders causing dementia, driving a step change in our understanding of neurodegeneration, and accelerating the discovery, development and delivery of interventions that will help diagnose, treat, and ultimately prevent dementia. REF 2021, Imperial ranks first in the UK for research outputs, first in the UK for research environment, and first for research impact among Russell Group universities, as well as first for the Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience Unit of Assessment (UoA4), reflecting excellence in the ongoing research activities of our department. 

What you would be doing 

You will be a motivated and organised researcher, excited by the science we do. You will lead one or more projects characterizing the relationship between brain and blood cell types to interpret Parkinson’s disease susceptibility and its various clinical presentations. 

You will join the research group of Dr. Cynthia Sandor, and collaborate closely with Dr. Nathan Skene’s group, which focuses on identifying the cell types and intracellular processes affected by the genetic loci underlying neurodegenerative diseases. 

We collaborate with Dr. Alexi Nott, who focuses on the role of the epigenome in neurodegenerative disorders, Professor Michael Johnson, who leads a large consortium developing a single-cell eQTL brain atlas, Professor Caleb Webber, Director of Informatics at the UK DRI, and Professor Payam Barnaghi (UK DRI at Care & Technology), who is advancing AI/ML in the context of neurodegenerative disorders. 

You will play a key role in analysing large-scale ‘omics datasets, with a primary focus on the analysis of cellular architecture to address major research questions related to Parkinson’s disease. This includes access to both published and unpublished human/mouse single-cell and multi-disease datasets 

How to apply: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/jobs/search-jobs/description/index.php?nPostingId=14908&nPostingTargetId=21391&id=PMMFK026203F3VBQB8NLOV4CQ&LG=UK&languageSelect=UK&mask=ext  

Further Information

What we are looking for:

We are looking for an experienced Research Assistant or Associate in Computational Genomics, eager to explore the complexities of Parkinson’s disease.

The ideal candidate should hold a relevant MSc in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Mathematics, or a closely related discipline, or possess equivalent research, industrial, or commercial experience. Knowledge of immunology is highly desirable. (For the Research Associate level you will need to have a PhD, if you have not yet officially been awarded it but are expected to you will be appointed at Research Assistant level and move up to Associate level once it has been awarded.)

• You should have practical experience within a research environment and/or publication in relevant and refereed journals.

• You should have experience with high-performance computing environments.

• You should be proficient with a broad range of bioinformatics tools and databases.

• You should have a background knowledge of neuroscience, biological sciences, or a closely related discipline.

• You should have a background knowledge of the immune system.

Contact Details

If you require any further details on the role please contact: Dr Cynthia Sandor c.sandor@imperial.ac.uk