Research Fellow In Computational Biology

Grade UE07: £37,099 - £44,263 per annum
College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine - CGEM / IGC
Full-time: 35 hours per week
Fixed-term: for 24 months
We are currently recruiting a Research Fellow for this joint project collaboration. The selected candidate will be appointed for 2 years, during which time they will spend 12 months at LKCMedicine and 12 months at UoE. The fellow will be responsible for driving a project on the molecular epidemiology of brain health and dementia, under the joint supervision of the PIs from LKCMedicine and UoE (Max Lam and Riccardo Marioni).
The Opportunity
NTU Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine) and University of Edinburgh (UoE) are leading research-intensive Institutes of Higher Learning. Both Universities have dynamic research environments with many areas of complementary and overlapping activity. In particular, the Universities have large scale population health research programmes, coupled to well-established health data platforms, and advanced techniques in genomics. This includes the SG100K study of 100,000 Asian individuals in Singapore (hosted by LKCMedicine) and the Generation Scotland study of 24,000 people in Scotland. The two Universities are therefore well positioned to collaborate on population and genomic research to address non-communicable disease, taking advantage of the insights generated from epidemiological studies that straddle ethnic groups.
Specifically, the focus area for the project is the molecular epidemiology of brain health and dementia. The appointed postdoc will work with multi-omics datasets from multi-ancestry populations to derive biomarkers of brain health for potential use in disease risk stratification. The brain health phenotypes under investigation include pen-and-paper cognitive tests, brain MRI scans, and clinical outcomes ascertained from electronic health records.
Key Responsibilities Include But Not Limited To

• Characterise the omics underpinnings of brain health using approaches such as GWAS, EWAS, variance components analyses. Triangulating evidence for putative causal associations across ancestries via Mendelian randomisation, colocalisation analyses etc. Determine the multi-omics contributions to incident dementia risk using time-to-event/survival models. Build and refine prediction pipelines for incident disease outcomes and complex traits.
• Lead manuscript writing for publication in peer-reviewed journals.
• Participate in seminars and work-in-progress meetings within the team and collaborators.
• Provide guidance and mentorship to junior researchers, undergraduate and graduate students, occasional educational and or instructional activities.
  

Skills And Knowledge

• A PhD in a related scientific area (e.g., Molecular Epidemiology/Biostatistics/Data Science).
• Experience with R/Python and with Unix based platforms.
• Knowledge of population genetics, statistics, bioinformatics or high dimensional data analysis.
• Demonstrated in-depth knowledge, skills and expertise, with capability of leadership and achieving research excellence.
  

Click here for a copy of the full job description.
As a valued member of our team you can expect:

• A competitive salary of £37,099 - £44,263 per annum.
• An exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to work.
• To be part of a diverse and vibrant international community.
• Comprehensive Staff Benefits, such as a generous holiday entitlement, a defined benefits pension scheme, staff discounts, family-friendly initiatives, and flexible work options. Check out the full list on our staff benefits page (opens in a new tab) and use our reward calculator to discover the total value of your pay and benefits.
  

Championing equality, diversity and inclusion
The University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. We are members of the Race Equality Charter and we are also Stonewall Scotland Diversity Champions, actively promoting LGBT equality.
Prior to any employment commencing with the University you will be required to evidence your right to work in the UK. Further information is available on our right to work webpages (opens new browser tab).
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The University is able to sponsor the employment of international workers in this role.  If successful, an international applicant requiring sponsorship to work in the UK will need to satisfy the UK Home Office’s English Language requirements and apply for and secure a Skilled Worker Visa.
About Us
As a world-leading research-intensive University, we are here to address tomorrow’s greatest challenges. Between now and 2030 we will do that with a values-led approach to teaching, research and innovation, and through the strength of our relationships, both locally and globally.
Organization
The Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine (CGEM) uses genetics and genomics to understand the mechanisms of disease and improve disease prediction, prevention and prognosis. Our research is leading to the development of new diagnostic tests and medicines and better use of existing medicines in clinical trials.
To find out more visit the Centre for Genomic & Experimental Medicine Webpage (Opens in new browser tab).
The Centre for Genomic and Experimental Medicine is part of the Institute of Genetics and Cancer (IGC). This partnership with MRC Human Genetics Unit and CRUK Edinburgh Centre aims to understand development and disease by using the latest developments in genetic, genomic, cellular and clinical science. The partnership provides access to state of the art scientific facilities, scientific infrastructure and business support, including on site Advanced Imaging Resource, Animal Model support, Bioinformatics Analysis Core, DNA sequencing, Flow Cytometry, Mass Spectrometry, HTPU microarray. The IGC also offers a highly collegial environment with excellent local career development support, active social, wellbeing and sustainability related groups making it a very desirable and supportive working environment.