Postdoctoral Research Associate

Corehr; Liverpool; On-site; GBP 42,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Liverpool is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Microbial Bioinformatics to support the PathNoma Alliance. You will lead bioinformatic analyses of shotgun metagenomic data from oral samples across multiple study sites and develop reproducible workflows to profile microbial communities and functions.

You should have a PhD in a relevant field and substantial experience in microbial bioinformatics, Linux/HPC, and data integration with clinical metadata.

Qualifications

• PhD in a relevant field or near completion.
• Extensive microbial bioinformatics experience.
• Experience with shotgun metagenomics data analysis.
• Strong publication record and ability to work in Linux/HPC environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead components of bioinformatic analysis of shotgun metagenomic data from oral samples across study sites.
• Develop and apply reproducible analytical workflows to characterise microbial communities and functions.
• Recover and analyse metagenome-assembled genomes and identify candidate disease-associated organisms.
• Integrate microbiome findings with clinical, epidemiological and immunological data.

Skills

Bioinformatics

Metagenomics

Linux HPC

R/Python

Academic writing

Education

PhD in bioinformatics / microbial genomics

Job description

We are seeking an enthusiastic and highly motivated Postdoctoral Research Associate in Microbial Bioinformatics to join the PathNoma Alliance, an international multidisciplinary research programme investigating the microbiological and immunological basis of noma. You will lead defined components of the bioinformatic analysis of shotgun metagenomic sequence data generated from oral samples collected from children with noma and geographically matched control participants across multiple study sites. Building on our initial metagenomic study of noma, you will develop and apply reproducible analytical workflows to characterise microbial community composition and function, recover and analyse metagenome-assembled genomes, identify candidate disease-associated organisms and pathways, and integrate microbiome findings with clinical, epidemiological, and immunological data.

You should have a PhD, or be close to completion, in bioinformatics, computational biology, microbial genomics or a related discipline, together with substantial experience in microbial bioinformatics and the analysis of shotgun metagenomic or microbial genome sequence data. You should have experience of comparative microbial genomics, including genome assembly, annotation and phylogenetic or pangenomic analysis, and be confident working in Linux and high-performance computing environments using R, Python, or equivalent tools. You will also need a strong understanding of reproducible research, statistical analysis, and the integration of sequence data with associated clinical or biological metadata, alongside evidence of contributing to scientific publications. The ability to work independently while collaborating effectively within an international multidisciplinary consortium is essential; experience of human-associated microbiomes, metagenome-assembled genomes or communicating in French would be advantageous.

This post is fixed term, the preferred start date January 2027 – for up to 42 months.

If you are still awaiting your PhD to be awarded you will be appointed at Grade 6, spine point 30. Upon written confirmation that you have been awarded your PhD, your salary will be increased to Grade 7, spine point 31.

Commitment to Diversity

The University of Liverpool is committed to enhancing workforce diversity. We actively seek to attract, develop, and retain colleagues with diverse backgrounds and perspectives. We welcome applications from all genders/gender identities, Black, Asian, or Minority Ethnic backgrounds, individuals living with a disability, and members of the LGBTQIA+ community.