Postdoctoral Research Scientist - Mechanisms Of Transposable Element Dysregulation In Human Disease

3-year fixed term We are looking for a talented computational bioinformatician or wet/dry senior scientist to work on a project in epigenetics and Transposable Element biology within the Chromatin and Development group (headed by Michelle Percharde), co-supervised by Juanma Vaquerizas (Developmental Epigenomics group) at the MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS) at Imperial College London. The Percharde lab previously discovered that the transposon, LINE1, is essential in embryonic stem cells and embryos, highlighting unexpected roles for transposons in development (Percharde et al., Cell 2018), and recently described new mechanisms in development for transposon regulation (Xie et al., Genes Dev 2022). The Vaquerizas lab studies how chromatin, 3D genome organisation, and repetitive elements influence development and disease (Kruse et al., 2019, Chang et al., Genome Res 2022). Building on these advances, the successful candidate will work to elucidate how epigenetic dysregulation of pathways controlling gene and transposon expression and 3D genome organisation drives Human Disease. For detailed information about the work of both groups, please visit: https://lms.mrc.ac.uk/research-group/chromatin-and-development/, www.perchardelab.com and https://lms.mrc.ac.uk/research-group/developmental-epigenomics/. The ideal candidate will have a background in genome regulation, Transposable Element biology or related fields, and prior extensive experience in computational analysis of high-throughput genetic analysis techniques, such as Hi-C, ATAC-seq, and RNA-seq. The position is available to be filled spring 2024, but the start date can be flexible. This post is an MRC Postdoctoral Scientist position reflective of the increased experience and responsibilities the successful candidate will have, who will lead their own project and may work collaboratively on 1-2 others. We offer a highly attractive benefits package including competitive salary, excellent holiday entitlement and generous pension scheme. For full details of this post and to complete an online application, click on the ‘Apply’ button above and upload your CV, names and contacts of two scientific references along with a covering letter stating why you are applying for this role (providing evidence against the requirements of the job as per the job description and person specification). Please quote reference number LMS 2327. Applications which do not provide a cover letter will not be considered. This role qualifies for endorsement by UKRI for a UK Global Talent Visa, for which the successful applicant is likely to be eligible to apply. Final appointment will be subject to pre-employment screening *Additional allowances comprise a £1,000 lump sum Settlement Allowance plus a yearly Training Allowance of £850 in the first year, paid in monthly installments. The Training Allowance increases to £1,300 in year two, and £1,800 in the third year.