Research Fellow in Computational Biology

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON; Southampton; On-site; GBP 33,000 - 42,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Holiday allowance

University closure days

USS pension

Health facilities

Discounts

Job summary

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON invites a computational biologist to join the BioFAIR Pathfinder project to develop a computational framework for gene regulatory network inference in single-cell genomics. The role includes curating, harmonising datasets, containerising and running tools, and contributing to peer‑reviewed publications and community engagement.

You will work within the School of Biological Sciences with access to IRIDIS HPC and collaborate across UK FAIR data initiatives and the

Qualifications

• Quantitative or RSE background in computational biology.
• Experience with single-cell genomics and gene regulation.
• Experience with containerisation and workflow development.

Responsibilities

• Develop computational framework for GRN inference methods in single-cell genomics.
• Curate, harmonise and benchmark single-cell/multimodal datasets.
• Containerise and run GRN tools; contribute to publications and community engagement.

Skills

Computational biology

Single-cell genomics

Data analysis

Containerisation

Workflow development

Tools

IRIDIS HPC

Job description

Organisation/Company UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHAMPTON Research Field Biological sciences Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) First Stage Researcher (R1) Application Deadline 10 Dec 2026 - 00:00 (UTC) Country United Kingdom Type of Contract Other Job Status Full-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

The Role:

We are seeking an outstanding computational biologist to join the BioFAIR Pathfinder project to develop computational framework for gene regulatory network (GRN) inference methods in single-cell genomics.

The project involves curating, harmonising single-cell and multimodal datasets, containerising and running, comparing GRN inference tools as a community resource. The role includes contributing to peer‑reviewed publications and developing community, training and engagement opportunities with BioFAIR and ELIXIR‑UK Southampton node.

You will join the collaborative interdisciplinary environment within the School of Biological Sciences, working alongside a growing computational genomics community at Southampton. You will have access to IRIDIS HPC, with support from RSEs, and also collaborate nationally through BioFAIR project and ELIXIR-UK Southampton Node.

About you:

You will have a quantitative or RSE background and an interest in applying computational and data-driven methods to single‑cell genomics and gene regulation. We are looking for someone who can work confidently with large and varied single‑cell datasets, and who enjoys developing, benchmarking, and testing new analytical approaches.

Experience in single‑cell bioinformatics, containerisation, and workflow development will be critical to the role, and we are interested in your ability to think clearly, learn new methods, and work well with others. The Pathfinder project has a community engagement aspect and will require someone who is comfortable engaging with researchers from different disciplines and institutions across UK and FAIR data community.

Alongside the project, the role comes with benefits that will make your life easier, such as a generous holiday allowance and additional university closure days. As a university employee, you will have access to the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS)*, subsidised health and fitness facilities, and a range of discounts.

This post is offered on a fixed‑term basis for 12 months.