Postdoctoral Research Assistant in Spatial Analysis of Spatial Transcriptomics for Therapy Response in Colorectal Cancer

Location: Building for Genomic Medicine, Old Road Campus, Roosevelt Drive, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7BN Additional locations: The Mathematical Institute, Radcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock Rd, Oxford OX2 6HD

We are looking for a Postdoctoral Research Assistant to join the multidisciplinary CRC-STARS Spatial Biology team at the University of Oxford. This role offers the chance to contribute to a major Cancer Research UK strategic programme investigating how colorectal cancer responds to therapy through the integration of spatial biology, computational analysis and clinical research. Working across the Centre for Human Genetics and the Mathematical Institute, you will collaborate with leading mathematicians, computational biologists, experimental scientists and clinicians to develop innovative approaches that will improve our understanding of therapeutic response and resistance in colorectal cancer.

Colorectal Cancer- Stratification of Therapies through Adaptive Responses (CRC-STARS) is a CRUK strategic programme. Through multiomic and spatial biology exploration of temporally distinct samples from clinical trials and advanced biological models, an international consortium of leading colorectal cancer scientists, clinicians and mathematicians will explore the mechanisms of evolved adaptive response to therapeutic selective pressures in colorectal cancer. 

You will develop and apply advanced bioinformatics and spatial analysis techniques to large-scale spatial transcriptomics and imaging datasets, using tools such as MuSpAn to identify spatial biomarkers and uncover the biological mechanisms driving treatment response. The role involves building robust and reproducible computational pipelines, interpreting complex biological data, collaborating across the CRC-STARS consortium, and contributing to scientific publications, grant applications and conference presentations. This is an excellent opportunity to work at the interface of quantitative science and cancer biology within a highly collaborative and internationally recognised research environment. 

It is essential that you hold, or be close to completing, a PhD/DPhil in computational biology, mathematics, statistics, bioinformatics, oncology or another related quantitative discipline. You will have experience analysing complex, high-dimensional datasets and applying quantitative or computational methods, together with strong programming skills in Python or a willingness to rapidly develop expertise. We are looking for an enthusiastic researcher who enjoys interdisciplinary working, can communicate complex analyses to researchers from a range of backgrounds, and is motivated to translate quantitative findings into meaningful biological insight. Experience with spatial transcriptomics, multiplex imaging, cancer datasets or the development of novel quantitative methodologies would be advantageous. 

Applications for this vacancy should be made online and you will need to upload a supporting statement and CV. Your supporting statement must explain how you meet each of the selection criteria for the post using examples of your skills and experience. Please restrict your documentation to your CV and supporting statement only. Any other documents will be requested at a later date.  

This position is offered full time on a fixed term contract until 28 February 2028 and is funded by Cancer Research UK.

Only applications received before 12 midday on Wednesday, 30 September 2026 will be considered. Please quote 188032 on all correspondence

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