Lecturer/Associate Professor in Artificial Intelligence for Biomolecular Design & Molecular Interact

UCL; Greater London; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave

8 bank holidays and 6 closure days)

Relocation scheme for certain posts

On-Site nursery

On-site gym

Cycle to work scheme and season ticket

Immigration loan

Enhanced maternity, paternity andadop

Job summary

UCL's Division of Biosciences invites applications for a Lecturer/Associate Professor in AI for Biomolecular Design & Molecular Interactions. The post focuses on AI-driven prediction, design of biomolecular interactions, and cross-disciplinary collaboration within SMB and the AI for Life programme.

The successful candidate will lead a research and teaching program, develop innovative approaches blending structural biology, biophysics, quantitative biology and machine learning, and contribute to

Qualifications

• PhD or equivalent in a relevant field with an AI-focused research agenda.
• Proven track record in AI-driven biomolecular design and interaction modelling.
• Experience in research-led teaching at undergraduate and/or postgraduate level.
• Ability to build collaborations and attract research funding.

Responsibilities

• Establish or expand a research and teaching programme centred on AI-driven approaches for biomolecular design.
• Develop and deliver teaching across undergraduate and postgraduate levels (computational biology, protein-nucleic acids, and design).
• Foster collaborative partnerships with experimentalists and theoreticians within SMB and beyond.
• Contribute to cross-division initiatives such as MRes AI for Bioscience and secure competitive funding.

Skills

AI for biomolecular design

Computational biology

Machine learning

Biophysics

Biochemistry

Education

PhD in a relevant field

Tools

Python

R

ML frameworks

Job description

About us

The Division of Biosciences at UCL is a major centre for research and teaching in the biological sciences, fostering curiosity-driven research that spans molecules to ecosystems. Within Biosciences, the Research Department of Structural & Molecular Biology (SMB) provides a stimulating and diverse research environment where important and exciting areas of modern biology, biophysics, biochemistry, biotechnology and medicine are investigated at the atomic, molecular, cellular and organism level. We are recruiting a Lecturer (Assistant Professor equivalent) or Associate Professor in AI for Biomolecular Design & Molecular Interactions to expand our strengths in Computational Biology and Bioinformatics as applied to research surrounding Modelling and Design of Life. This role also forms part of AI for Life, a major programme across Biosciences in computational and artificial intelligence-driven life sciences.

About the role

An exciting development in AI-driven biosciences is the development of predictive and generative models of biomolecular interactions, spanning protein-ligand, protein-protein, and protein-nucleic acid systems. Next-generation approaches that integrate structural, thermodynamic and sequence-level information to model binding specificity, affinity, and conformational dynamics, and on translating these insights into the rational design of novel molecules and interaction networks, will enable precise control of biomolecular interactions and functions.

This is an exciting opportunity to become a Lecturer/Associate Professor at UCL. The successful candidate will take an active role in the Research Department of Structural & Molecular Biology (SMB), developing international standard, competitive research programme, conducting teaching and training of undergraduate and postgraduate students, and supporting the Departmental vision of creating an impact on the life of the University and the society.

The successful candidate will establish (at Grade 8) or expand (at Grade 9) a research and teaching programme centred on original, AI-driven approaches for biomolecular design, with a focus on molecular recognition and interaction engineering. We are particularly interested in candidates with a track record of developing innovative approaches combining elements of structural biology, biophysics, quantitative biology and machine learning, to understand and design interactions between proteins, small molecules, and nucleic acids. This new research programme will be fully embedded within research activities of SMB, providing opportunities of fruitful interactions between experimentalist and theoreticians, shaping and expanding new research directions. The postholder will play a pivotal role in SMB's teaching activities, contributing teaching in relevant areas (e.g. computational biology, protein-nucleic acid/small molecule interactions, protein/biomolecular design) at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, including a new cross-division MRes AI for Bioscience.

This appointment is subject to UCL Terms and Conditions of Service for Academic Staff. Please visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/human-resources/policies/2021/jun/conditions-service-academic-staff for more information.

Interviews will be provisionally scheduled for early January 2027

For informal queries about the post, please contact Professor Franca Fraternali ([e-mail]). For queries about the application process, or to request reasonable adjustments or a more accessible format to apply for the job online, please contact the FLS HR team on [e-mail]

About you

You will have a PhD or equivalent qualification in a relevant field and an innovative research agenda in AI for Biomolecular Designs and Molecular Interactions, Computational Biology applied to Molecular Biosystems or in a closely related area with clear quantitative and data science strength. You will have experience of research-led teaching at undergraduate and/or postgraduate level, with a strong interest in interdisciplinary working, external engagement and translational impact. You will also show the potential to build collaborative partnerships, attract research funding, and contribute to an inclusive and ambitious academic environment.

A full list of essential and desirable criteria is provided in the accompanying person specification at the bottom of this page with further details of how to apply.

What we offer

The UCL Ways of Working supports colleagues to be successful and happy at UCL through sharing expectations around how we work - please https://www.ucl.ac.uk/human-resources/policies-advice/ways-working to find out more.

As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits some of which are below:

• 41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days)
• Additional 5 days' annual leave purchase scheme
• Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)
• Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan
• Immigration loan
• Relocation scheme for certain posts
• On-Site nursery
• On-site gym
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
• Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service
• Discounted medical insurance

Visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/reward-and-benefits to find out more.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion

As London's Global University, we know that diversity and inclusion are fundamental drivers of creativity, innovation, and excellence, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world's talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong, thrive, and reach our full potential. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL's workforce. These include people from Black, Asian, and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women'

Our department holds an Athena SWAN Silver award, in recognition of our commitment to advancing gender equality. You can read more about our commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/equality-diversity-inclusion/