Postdoctoral Research Associate in Computational Biology

The Kennedy Institute has an exciting oppourtunity for a highly motivated post-doc to join a strong interdisciplinary team investigating the roles of fibroblasts in rheumatoid arthritis under the leadership of Professor Chris Buckley. The team has an opening for a talented computational reseacher to join the group of Associate Professor Stephen Sansom and lead bioinformatic investigations of the cellular basis of disease initiation, development and resolution. This research will take advantage of rich single-cell and spatial transcriptomics datasets from patient cohorts and animal models. Novel findings will be prioritised, validated and tested in close partnership with wet-lab colleagues. The ultimate goal of the project is to understand the roles of different fibroblast subtypes with a view to informing selective therapeutic intervention. At the University of Oxford the research team is comprised of experiemental scientists in the groups of Professors Chris Buckley and Mark Coles and computational researchers in the group of Associate Professor Stephen Sansom. They are working closely with groups of clinician scientists led by Professors Andrew Filer, Adam Croft and Karim Raza at the University of Birmingham. 

You should be able to demonstrate a passion and desire to conduct investigative research that is aligned with the project goals. You will have expert knowledge of cellular biology, experience with statistical analysis and hands-on experience with analysing genomic/transcriptomic datasets with Python and/or R. You should have a track record of writing scientific papers as evidenced by publications or submitted manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals. A PhD/DPhil in a discipline of direct relevance to computational genomics and/or cellular immunology research is essential. In this role, you will perform scientific research, reviewing and refining working hypotheses and developing and acquiring relevant skills as necessary. You will analyse and interpret data, preparing and publishing your findings in peer-reviewed journals. You will help to  train and supervise graduate and undergraduate students as appropriate . The successful applicant will be based at the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology within the Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences.

Recent PhD/DPhil graduates and candidates originally from experimental backgrounds wishing to aquire further training in computational research are also strongly encouraged to apply if they can demonstrate a strong aptitude for computer programming and statistical data analysis.

Please read the accompanying job description carefully and ensure that you address each selection criteria in a supporting statement which must be uploaded together with your CV when applying online.

For further information please contact Dr Stephen Sansom: [email protected] and/or Chris Buckley [email protected].

This is a fixed-term, full time position for 2 years.   

Due to the nature of the research at the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, this job will require additional security pre-employment checks:

•    A satisfactory basic Disclosure and Barring Service check