Computational Postdoctoral Fellow in Functional Genomics

Wellcome Sanger Institute

Do you want to help us improve human health and understand life on Earth? Make your mark by shaping the future to enable or deliver life-changing science to solve some of humanity’s greatest challenges.

About the Role:

We are looking to appoint a computational postdoctoral fellow in the Functional Genomics Group led by Dr Emma Davenport at the Wellcome Sanger Institute for a 3 year fixed term post.

You will be responsible for:

This computational postdoctoral fellowship provides an exciting opportunity to lead projects focused on identifying the molecular pathways and genetic variants driving ancestry-specific differences in lupus symptoms.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a heterogeneous autoimmune disease in which the prevalence and severity varies across patients of different ancestry. As part of an international team of experimental, clinical and computational researchers, we are generating whole genome sequencing (WGS), bulk and single cell RNA-sequencing and proteomic data for a large diverse cohort of SLE patients. You will lead the integration of multi-omics datasets, particularly the  genetic and transcriptomics data, to further our understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying the variation we observe in SLE. This is an excellent opportunity to be engaged in all aspects of a large-scale project, from planning and data generation through to analysis and novel discovery.

About You:

You will work closely with collaborators in the UK and Australia. Excellent communication and organisation skills will be essential for delivering the aims of the project. You will have experience in analysing functional genomics datasets.

About Us:

Our research aims to understand how genetics contributes to variation between patients in their disease severity and response to treatment. We focus on diseases that involve systemic inflammation such as SLE and sepsis. For both of these diseases, patients present with variable clinical features, which makes diagnosis and treatment challenging. We are a multidisciplinary team of statistical geneticists, molecular biologists, bioinformaticians and clinicians. We generate genetic and transcriptomic datasets for large cohorts of individuals and apply sophisticated analytical approaches to further our understanding of the role of genetics in this variation. 

Essential Skills:

• PhD in a relevant subject area (e.g. Bioinformatics, Biology, Genetics, Computational Biology, Statistics)

• Ability to communicate effectively with interdisciplinary team members and collaborators

• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team

• Ability to work with others in a friendly and collegiate environment

• Demonstrable high level of communication skills both written and oral

• A passion for problem solving and creative thinking

• Excellent organisational skills

• Experience in the analysis of functional genomic datasets (e.g. gene expression datasets)

• Proficiency in a scripting language (e.g. R, Python, Perl)

• Demonstrated ability to independently run data science projects

• Demonstrates inclusivity and respect for all

Salary:

£34,819-£43,600 per annum

Application Process:

Please apply with your CV and a Cover Letter outlining how you meet the criteria set out above.

This is a rolling advert, we will consider applications and hold interviews on an ongoing basis and the role will close when a successful appointment has been made.

Working at Wellcome Sanger

Our flexible-hybrid working environment means you can focus on being productive and part of the team while enjoying the benefits of working remotely and from the Genome Campus when you are in the office.

We aim to attract, recruit, retain and develop talent from the widest possible talent pool, thereby gaining insight and access to different markets to generate a greater impact on the world. We have a supportive culture with the following staff networks, LGBTQ+, Parents and Carers and Race Equity to bring people together to share experiences, offer specific support and development opportunities and raise awareness. The networks are also a place for allies to provide support to others.

We want our people to be whoever they want to be because we believe people who bring their best selves to work, do their best work. That’s why we’re committed to creating a truly inclusive culture at Sanger Institute. We will consider all individuals without discrimination and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees, where everyone can thrive.