Senior Research Associate in Genetic Epidemiology

The role

The MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol is looking to recruit three talented quantitative scientists (from genetic epidemiology / statistical genetics or any related backgrounds) to contribute to the next phase of our exciting program of work. One priority area is to advance from understanding causes of the onset of disease, to the causes of disease progression. Whereas understanding causes of disease onset can inform preventative strategies, disease progression can be governed by very different processes, and these are the processes that could more directly translate to novel therapies. You will also be encouraged to develop your own areas of interest.

Post 1. Causal inference for disease progression to identify novel disease therapies – ACAD106638

Post 2. Genetic risk factors for disease severity in eczema – THIS ROLE

Post 3. Enhancing causal inference with molecular data – ACAD106635

We are seeking a talented genetic epidemiologist with an interest in identifying drug targets and/or biomarkers of disease severity in atopic dermatitis (eczema). You will be based in MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit and will collaborate closely with members of the BIOMAP consortium, particularly at King’s College London (KCL)  and other BIOMAP partners to identify genetic variants (and implicated genes) associated with the severity and progression of eczema. The work will be conducted in parallel with similar analyses on psoriasis (led by KCL). You will work with several collaborating cohorts to deliver GWAS results. As the analysis will use case only data you will explore and adjust for potential index event bias in the analyses.

Each post will involve collaboration with international collaborators and access to cutting edge data resources. Our programme of work has an emphasis on research that is informative for drug and intervention development. 

The posts will be embedded in a supportive environment that prioritises the development of post-doctoral researchers to independence through established training and mentoring programmes.

What will you be doing?

• Preparing data from large population cohort studies for analysis
• Performing genome-wide association and/or Mendelian Randomization analysis
• Building relationships with external collaborators
• Presenting your work internally and at national and international conferences
• (Particularly for post 3) Development of methods

You should apply if

• You are an enthusiastic quantitative scientist who is interested in analysis of disease progression phenotypes or integrating molecular data with methods for causal inference
• You have experience of working with high dimensional data
• You have experience of coding using R, Python, Perl, C or similar
• You have good oral and written communication skills
• You have a track record of publishing high quality research

Additional information

Contract type: Open ended with fixed funding for 2 years

Work pattern: Full time / 1FTE

Grade: J/2

Salary: £39,745 - £44,737 per annum 

School/Unit: Bristol Medical School

Shift pattern: 35h per week

This advert will close at 23:59 GMT on 09/03/2023

For informal queries please contact: Lavinia Paternoster, l.paternoster@bristol.ac.uk 

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