Research Associate

Imperial Enterprise; Gloucester; On-site; GBP 38,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Development days (10)

Generous pension

43 days off a year

Job summary

Imperial College London invites applications for a Research Associate to develop novel methods for pathogen genomic epidemiology within the Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology. The post is Wellcome-funded and based in a new group focusing on scalable mathematical and statistical approaches using large genome datasets to understand infectious disease transmission.

The role involves method development, validation, simulations and data analysis across multiple pathogens, with a start date

Qualifications

• Hold a PhD in infectious disease epidemiology, computational biology, population biology, biostatistics or a related quantitative discipline, or equivalent research, industrial or commercial experience. Candidates who have not yet been officially awarded will be appointed as Research Assistant.
• Demonstrated experience developing mathematical and/or statistical approaches to answer complex biological questions.
• Experience conducting quantitative analyses of complex biological data using rigorous analytical approaches and disseminating research through high-quality outputs (publications, preprints, software tools, conferences).
• Advanced programming skills in R and/or Python.

Responsibilities

• Develop and apply statistical and computational methods to characterise infectious disease transmission from pathogen genomic data.
• Balance method development, computational simulations and data analysis according to project needs.
• Work in an interdisciplinary environment spanning infectious disease epidemiology, pathogen evolution, genomic epidemiology and statistics.

Skills

PhD in epidemiology

Statistical modelling

R/Python

Education

PhD in related field

Tools

R

Python

Job description

We invite applications for a Research Associate to develop novel methods for pathogen genomic epidemiology in the Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London.

The post is funded by a Wellcome Early-Career Award and will be based in a new group within the Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology. The group develops scalable mathematical and statistical approaches leveraging large pathogen genome datasets to understand the determinants of infectious disease transmission. Our work combines data analysis, genomic epidemiology, mathematical modelling and statistical inference to answer public health relevant questions. We are committed to building a positive and inclusive environment, where all team members feel that they belong and are excited to do research. We recognise the systemic barriers that exist in higher education and research, particularly for people from historically marginalised groups. Applicants from groups underrepresented in science and research are particularly encouraged to apply.

What you would be doing

The successful candidate will develop and apply statistical and computational methods to characterise infectious disease transmission from pathogen genomic data, with an initial focus on seasonal influenza and opportunities to extend the work to other pathogens. Projects will build on approaches developed in the group that rely on genetically proximal sequences and do not require full phylogenetic tree reconstruction. The work will include a combination of method development and validation, computational simulations and data analysis, which can be balanced depending on the postholder’s interests and experience. This work is fundamentally interdisciplinary, combining infectious disease epidemiology, pathogen evolution, genomic epidemiology, mathematical modelling, statistical inference and quantitative data analysis.

We do not expect candidates to be experts in all these areas, and welcome applicants with a strong foundation in one or more relevant disciplines who are enthusiastic about developing expertise across these areas.

What we are looking for

• Hold a PhD in infectious disease epidemiology, computational biology, population biology, biostatistics or a related quantitative discipline, or equivalent research, industrial or commercial experience *Candidates who have not yet been officially awarded their PhD will be appointed as Research Assistant.
• Demonstrated experience developing mathematical and/or statistical approaches to answer complex biological questions.
• Experience conducting quantitative analyses of complex biological data using rigorous analytical approaches.Experience disseminating research through high-quality scientific outputs, such as peer-reviewed publications, preprints, software tools and conference presentations.
• Advanced programming skills in R and/or Python.
• Knowledge of, or strong interest in learning about, infectious disease epidemiology.

What we can offer you

• The opportunity to continue your career at a world-leading institution and be part of our mission to continue science for humanity.
• As a member of research staff you have 10 development days to use to develop your skills and explore your career prospects.
• Sector-leading salary and remuneration package (including 43 days off a year and generous pension schemes).
• Be part of a diverse, inclusive and collaborative work culture with various staff networks and resources to support your personal and professional wellbeing .

Further information

Please note that this is a PhD level role but candidates who have not yet been officially awarded will be appointed as a Research Assistant.

This is a full-time and fixed-term contract for two years. The expected start date for this post is 01 st February 2027 (with flexibility on the start date), and the contract end date will be 31 st January 2029.

Attached documents are available under links. Clicking a document link will initialize its download.

Please note that job descriptions are not exhaustive, and you may be asked to take on additional duties that align with the key responsibilities mentioned above.

We reserve the right to close the advert before the stated closing date, should we receive a high volume of applications. It is therefore advisable that you submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

If you encounter any technical issues while applying online, please don't hesitate to email us at [e-mail]. We're here to help.

About Imperial

Welcome to Imperial, a global top-ten university where scientific imagination leads to world-changing impact.

Join us and be part of something bigger. From global health to climate change, AI to business leadership, here at Imperial we navigate some of the world’s toughest challenges. Whatever your role, your contribution will have a lasting impact.

As a member of our vibrant community of 22,000 students and 8,000 staff, you’ll collaborate with passionate minds across nine London campuses and a global network.

This is your chance to help shape the future. We hope you’ll join us at Imperial College London.

Our Culture

We work towards equality of opportunity, to eliminating discrimination, and to creating an inclusive working environment for all. We encourage applications from all backgrounds, communities and industries, and are committed to employing a team that has diverse skills, experiences and abilities. You can read more about our commitment on our web pages .

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Our values are at the root of everything we do, and everyone in our community is expected to demonstrate respect, collaboration, excellence, integrity, and innovation.