Postdoctoral Fellow - Frohlich Lab

Crick; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 43,000 - 52,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Visa sponsorship

28 days annual leave

Pension scheme

Health & wellbeing services

Gym membership discount

On-site restaurant

Job summary

The Francis Crick Institute invites applications for a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Fröhlich Lab. You will extend deep mechanistic models to single-cell data, combining neural networks with mechanistic differential equation models and developing open-source tools.

You will lead an independent computational project and collaborate across Crick and international teams. PhD in a relevant field and strong Python skills are required, with experience in reproducible research and cross-disciplinary

Qualifications

• PhD in a relevant field or near submission.
• Strong Python programming skills.
• Knowledge of mathematical models of biological systems and numerical methods for differential equations.
• Experience pursuing independent research ideas.
• Strong written and verbal scientific communication.
• Collaborative, cross-disciplinary approach and open science.
• Commitment to reproducible research and open science.

Responsibilities

• Lead an independent research project in scientific machine learning and mechanistic modelling.
• Develop deep mechanistic models for single-cell biological data.
• Build and maintain reusable, open-source computational tools.
• Apply new methods to biological datasets and interpret their significance.
• Collaborate with computational and experimental researchers across Crick and internationally.
• Publish research and present at conferences.
• Mentor graduate students where appropriate.

Skills

Python

Scientific programming

Numerical methods

Cross-disciplinary collaboration

Education

PhD in mathematics, physics, data science, engineering, systems biology or related field

Tools

JAX

PyTorch

Job description

Salary for this Role: From £47,500, with benefits, subject to skills and experience.

Job Title: Postdoctoral Fellow - Frohlich Lab.

Closing Date: 24/Sept/2026 23.59 GMT

Contract term: This is a full-time, fixed term (4 years) position on Crick terms and conditions of employment.

Reporting to: Fabian Fröhlich, Group Leader.

About us

The Francis Crick Institute is Europe’s largest biomedical research institute under one roof. Our world-class scientists and staff collaborate on vital research to help prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, infectious diseases and neurodegenerative conditions. The Crick is a place for collaboration, innovation and exploration across many disciplines. A space where the brightest minds can pursue big and bold ideas and discover answers to crucial scientific questions. We support them in a dynamic environment which fosters excellence with state-of-the-art infrastructure, cutting-edge facilities, and a creative and curious culture. We’ve removed traditional boundaries of departments, divisions and disciplines and instead have an open approach that supports every researcher. This gives us the freedom to take risks and carry out high-quality, pioneering research. Creating a space for discovery without boundaries helps us to turn our science into benefits for human health and the economy.

About the Fröhlich Lab

The Fröhlich Lab combines quantitative biology with scientific machine learning (SciML) to understand how cells respond to perturbations and uncover fundamental principles of cellular behaviour. Bringing together expertise across mathematics, physics, biology, engineering and data science, we integrate mechanistic models, machine learning and high-throughput experiments to study cellular signalling and cell states across scales.

About the role

We are seeking an ambitious Postdoctoral Fellow to develop the next generation of deep mechanistic models (DMMs; Fabrini & Fröhlich, bioRxiv 2026, doi: 10.64898/2026.07.30.741759) for biological systems. You will lead a computational research project extending DMMSs from population-level to single-cell data, combining neural networks with mechanistic differential equation models to understand signalling differences between individual cells. You will develop open-source computational tools (www.github.com/PEtab-dev/petab_sciml) and apply them to cutting-edge single-cell datasets generated within the lab and from public resources. There is significant scope to shape the project around your interests, including live-cell imaging, flow matching, optimal transport or cell-cycle modelling. This is an exciting opportunity for a computational researcher who wants to develop innovative machine-learning methods while tackling fundamental biological questions within a highly interdisciplinary environment.

What you’ll be doing

• Leading an independent research project in scientific machine learning and mechanistic modelling.
• Developing deep mechanistic models for single-cell biological data.
• Building and maintaining reusable, open-source computational tools.
• Applying new methods to biological datasets and interpreting their biological significance.
• Collaborating with computational and experimental researchers across the Crick and internationally.
• Publishing your research and presenting at national and international conferences.
• Supporting and mentoring graduate students where appropriate.

Essential

• PhD in mathematics, physics, data science, engineering, systems biology or a related field, or be in the final stages of PhD submission.
• Strong scientific programming skills in Python.
• Knowledge of mathematical models of biological systems and numerical methods for differential equations.
• Experience developing and pursuing independent research ideas.
• Strong written and verbal scientific communication skills.
• A collaborative, cross-disciplinary approach and interest in applying computational methods to biological questions.
• Commitment to reproducible research and open science.

Desirable

• Experience with machine learning frameworks such as JAX or PyTorch with a focus on single-cell methods such as optimal transport or flow matching.
• Knowledge of cell biology, biochemistry relevant to signalling and cell cycle pathways.
• Experience with modern software development practices or high-performance computing.

About Working at the Crick

Our values Everyone who works at the Crick has a valuable role to play in advancing the Crick’s mission and shaping our culture! We are bold. We make space for creative, dynamic and imaginative ideas and approaches. We’re not afraid to do things differently. We are open. We’re highly collaborative and interactive, and make sure our activities are visible to the outside world. We are collegial. We show respect for one another, work cooperatively and support the wider community.

At the Francis Crick Institute, we believe that diversity and inclusion are essential to driving innovation and scientific discovery. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to succeed, regardless of their background, identity, or personal circumstances.

We actively encourage applications from individuals of all genders, ethnicities, abilities, and experiences.

We are a Disability Confident : Committed employer and want to ensure that everyone can apply and be part of our recruitment processes and so we’ll make reasonable adjustments if you need them - just let us know when you apply.

What will you receive?

• Visa: Applicants for this role will be eligible for sponsorship to work in the UK.
• Generous Leave: 28 days of annual leave, plus three additional days over Christmas and bank holidays.
• Pension Scheme: Defined contribution pension with employer contributions of up to 16%.
• Health & Well-being: 24/7 GP consultation services. Occupational health services and mental health support programs. Eye care vouchers and discounted healthcare plans.
• Work-Life Balance: Back-up care for dependents. Childcare support allowance. Annual leave purchase options. Crick Networks offering diverse groups’ support, community and inclusive social events.
• Perks: Discounted gym memberships, bike-to-work scheme, and shopping discounts. Subsidised on-site restaurant and social spaces for team interaction.
• Career support: A Post-doc to PI programme and other career development activities.

We reserve the right to withdraw this advert at any given time due to the number of applications received.

The Francis Crick Institute is a biomedical discovery institute researching the biology underlying human health. At the Crick, scientists and staff collaborate to stretch the very limits of what we know about how life works. Our work is helping to understand why disease develops and to translate discoveries into new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, infections and neurodegenerative diseases. The Francis Crick Institute is a charity, founded by the Medical Research Council, Cancer Research UK, Wellcome, UCL (University College London), Imperial College London and King’s College London.