Associate Bioinformatics

Requisition ID:  10227

Location:  

Newcastle, GB

Contract Type:  Fixed Term

Working Pattern:  Full Time

Posted Date:  05-Aug-2021

We are a world class research-intensive university. We deliver teaching and learning of the highest quality. We play a leading role in economic, social and cultural development of the North East of England. Attracting and retaining high-calibre people is fundamental to our continued success.

Salary: Research Assistant: £28,331 – £29,176 with progression to £30,046  per annum

            Research Associate £30,942 – £32,817 witrh progression to £40,322 per annum

Closing Date: 5 September 2021

The Role

We are seeking a bioinformatics/computational Research Assistant (graduate) or Research Associate (post-doc) to join a vibrant, diverse and supportive laboratory group working at the cutting edge of translational haematopoiesis and immunology research.  You will work on the Wellcome Trust funded project ‘Somatic mutation in human macrophages: defining ontogeny and mechanisms of inflammatory disease’.   The aim of the project is to use somatic mutation to map the ontogeny of specialised human macrophage populations during development and to investigate the functional consequences of somatic mutations arising during clonal haematopoiesis, on monocyte and macrophage biology.  

You will have a strong background in computation and statistics with some knowledge of bioinformatics.  You will work closely with a small post-doc team processing samples for genome/exome sequencing, 10X and smartseq-based single cell transcriptomics. We will consider applications from highly motivated PhD, MSc and BSc graduates.  Experience of biological data is desirable but not essential and training can be provided.  

There will be ample opportunity for a motivated individual to lead their own data-driven strand of the research.  It will be possible for graduates to use their work to register for a PhD.

This is a full time, fixed term post until 31 May 2025 

For informal enquiries contact matthew.collin@newcastle.ac.uk

Key Accountabilities

• Add value to the programme of research by generating hypotheses, making technical or methodological innovations, and gaining new insights
• Develop and carry out the specified project using appropriate techniques and equipment as outlined in the personal requirements 
• Determine appropriate methodologies for research, with advice and support where required
• Contribute to grant applications submitted by others and in time develop own research objectives and proposals for funding 
• Begin to write, with appropriate support, proposals for individual research funding or, where funders do not permit this, contribute to the writing of collective bids
• Assess research findings for the need/scope for further investigations
• Contribute to the writing up of their research for publication and dissemination, either through seminar and conference presentations or through publications
• Present research findings, either at conferences or through publications in reputable outlets appropriate to the discipline
• May be involved in the supervision, with guidance, of final year undergraduate research projects and in providing support to postgraduate research students or Research Assistants 
• Will need to work with the support staff and, on occasions, with undergraduate and postgraduate students, and interact intellectually with other academic members of the Institute
• May contribute to events celebrating the public engagement of science/social sciences/humanities
• Develop an awareness of University structures, policies and procedures and relevant issues in the higher education, research, social and political environment

The Person (Essential)

Knowledge, Skills and Experience 

• Ability to manipulate and interrogate a range of higher order data in R and experience or willingness to develop a working knowledge of Python
• High level of analytical and problem-solving capability including a sound statistical background
• Ability to communicate complex information with clarity and to encourage the commitment of others 
• Experience of research with clear transferable skills and some experience or awareness of the research environment 
• Presentations at conferences and/or high-quality publications
• Ability to work well as part of a team and rapidly acquire new skills
• Knowledge of variant-calling pipelines for genomic sequence variation and gene expression analysis pipelines including single cell transcriptomics analysis using data from 10X and SMARTseq platforms (Desirable)
• Knowledge of computational assets including virtual machines (Desirable)
• Knowledge of haematopoiesis and immunology (Desirable)

Attributes and Behaviour

• Willingness to take responsibility for resource intensive experimental data
• Collaborative and enthusiastic

Qualifications

• PhD in relevant subject area (for Research Associate)
• Degree in computational or mathematical science
• Degree in biology with good knowledge of computational methods
• Undergraduate or post-graduate qualification with bio-informatics component (Desirable)

Newcastle University is committed to being a fully inclusive Global University which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society.  We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all our employees and the communities they represent.  We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from everybody, regardless of race, sex, ethnicity, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, age, disability, gender identity, marital status/civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, as well as being open to flexible working practices.

The University holds a silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality. The University also holds the HR Excellence in Research award for our work to support the career development of our researchers, and is a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe.

We understand how important the full employment package is to our colleagues at Newcastle University and we are committed to providing a great range of benefits and discounts for all.  You can learn more about what is available here on our Benefits Website page.

Requisition ID: 10227