Research Associate in Bioinformatics

Newcastle University; North East; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 44,000; Full time

Job summary

A research-intensive university in the UK seeks a motivated Research Associate to join their Biosciences Institute. This role focuses on investigating cardiovascular disease and aging, specifically through advanced techniques like single-nuclei RNA sequencing. The ideal candidate will hold a PhD in a relevant field and possess strong analytical skills. Benefits include a generous holiday package and pension schemes.

Benefits

Generous holiday package

Great pension schemes

Health and wellbeing initiatives

Qualifications

• Ability to work well as part of a team and acquire new skills.
• Experience in research with publications or conference presentations.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capability.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to technical aspects of studies under guidance.
• Develop and carry out specified research projects.
• Present research findings at conferences.

Skills

Teamwork

Analytical skills

Communication

Research experience

Education

PhD in cardiovascular biology, bioinformatics or related discipline

Tools

R

Python

10x Genomics platforms

Job description

Overview

Salary: £35,608.00-£43,482.00 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits including a generous holiday package (with option to buy more), great pension schemes and health and wellbeing initiatives. Closing Date: 28 September 2025.

The Role

We seek a highly motivated Research Associate to join our dynamic research group at Newcastle University’s Biosciences Institute. This opportunity focuses on cardiovascular disease and ageing, specifically investigating myocardial senescence and its role in cardiac pathology. The successful candidate will work within a leading cardiovascular research environment, utilising state-of-the-art single-nuclei RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics to elucidate the mechanisms underlying myocardial dysfunction and ageing.

Project: CARDIAC-MAP: Cardiac Mapping of Ageing Pathology. Techniques include single-nuclei RNA sequencing and high-resolution spatial transcriptomics (10x Genomics Visium HD) to characterise and map the heterogeneity of senescent cells expressing p16Ink4a and/or p21Cip1 in human myocardial tissues, with the goal of understanding how these cells contribute to inflammation, fibrosis, and myocardial dysfunction and identifying novel biomarkers and potential therapeutic targets.

This fixed-term position is for 36 months.

For informal enquiries contact: Professor Gavin. Find out more about the Faculty of Medical Sciences at: ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/

Key Accountabilities

• Contribute ideas and enhancements to technical or methodological aspects of studies under the general guidance of an academic or Principal Investigator, providing substantial added value.
• 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 contribute to collective bids where funders permit.
• Assess research findings for the need or scope for further investigations.
• Contribute to the writing up of research for publication and dissemination, through seminars, conferences, or journal articles.
• Present research findings at conferences or in reputable outlets appropriate to the discipline.
• May be involved in supervising final-year undergraduate projects and supporting postgraduate researchers or Research Assistants, with guidance.
• Collaborate with support staff and, when appropriate, with undergraduate and postgraduate students; interact with other academic members of the Institute.
• Contribute to events celebrating public engagement of science or related activities.
• Develop awareness of University structures, policies and the higher education research environment.
• Carry out the project using single-nuclei RNA sequencing and spatial transcriptomics; determine appropriate bioinformatics methodologies with expert advice and support.

The Person – Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Ability to work well as part of a team and rapidly acquire new skills; detailed subject knowledge in the area of research.
• Likelihood of advanced skills directly related to the research projects; high analytical and problem-solving capability.
• Ability to communicate complex information clearly and to encourage the commitment of others.
• Experience in research with transferable skills and awareness of the research environment; presentations at conferences and/or high-quality publications.
• Strong research background with a track record of relevant publications or conference presentations.

Desirable

• Experience working with human cardiac tissues or primary human cell cultures.
• Familiarity with bioinformatics tools for single-cell and spatial analysis in R or Python (e.g., Seurat, Scanpy, MERINGUE or similar).
• Prior experience with 10x Genomics platforms.

Attributes and Behaviour

• Team player with a collaborative approach to research; proactive and able to work independently.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills; commitment to high-quality research and continuous professional development.
• Enthusiasm for engaging in interdisciplinary research collaborations.

Qualifications

• A PhD in the relevant area is required (Research Associate) in cardiovascular biology, bioinformatics, ageing research, or a related discipline.

Newcastle University is a global university that values diversity and inclusion. We are committed to being an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our teams. We also hold a silver Athena Swan award, a Race Equality Charter Bronze award, and are Disability Confident. We are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe.

Requisition ID: 28555