Research Scientist (Machine Learning, Cell and Tissue Biology), London

Isomorphic Labs; London; Hybrid; GBP 45,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Isomorphic Labs is seeking a Research Scientist skilled in computational biology and machine learning to drive innovation in drug discovery. You will be part of an interdisciplinary team, focusing on applying machine learning techniques to improve understanding and modeling of cellular processes. If you are passionate about tackling health challenges with cutting-edge AI technology, this opportunity offers the chance to make significant contributions towards transformative biomedical breakthroughs.

Qualifications

• Experience in computational biology specializing in cell biology.
• Research experience including deep learning techniques.
• Strong knowledge of linear algebra and statistics.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to ML model development for cell and tissue biology.
• Analyze computational biology datasets for drug development.
• Collaborate with ML, Chemistry, and Biology teams.

Skills

Machine Learning

Computational Biology

Data Analysis

Statistical Analysis

Python

Education

PhD in Computational Biology or related field

Tools

JAX

PyTorch

TensorFlow

NumPy

SciPy

Pandas

Job description

Research Scientist (Machine Learning, Cell and Tissue Biology), London

London, England, United Kingdom

Research Scientist (Machine Learning, Cell and Tissue Biology), London

We are here to advance human health, by reimagining drug discovery with the power and pace of artificial intelligence.

The future is coming. A future enabled and enriched by the incredible power of machine learning. A future in which diseases are curtailed or cured by better and faster drug discovery.

Our values exist in service of that future. We think they’ll help us bring it closer, too.

Come and be part of an interdisciplinary team driving groundbreaking innovation and play a meaningful role in contributing towards us achieving our ambitious goals, while being a part of an inspiring and collaborative culture.

The world we want tomorrow is the one we’re building today. It starts with the culture at this company. It starts with you.

About Iso

Isomorphic Labs (IsoLabs) was founded in 2021 and is led by Sir Demis Hassabis. Our aim is to usher in a new era of biomedical breakthroughs and find cures for some of humanity’s devastating diseases.

Our foundations are built on the success of Google DeepMind’s AlphaFold, but we didn’t stop there! We are continuing to develop and implement state-of-the-art technologies as we move towards our goal of dramatically accelerating and improving the process of designing and bringing new medicines to patients.

We have built a world-leading drug design engine comprising foundational AI models that are capable of working across multiple therapeutic areas and drug modalities. The company is continually innovating on model architecture and developing cutting-edge capabilities to advance rational drug design.

Your impact

This is an exciting opportunity for you to contribute to an ambitious Cell and Tissue Biology research program within the Computational Biology team, working in partnership with leading Machine Learning (ML) researchers, Chemists and Biologists.

Building on the successful models in place to predict protein structure (AlphaFold-3) , there is an unique opportunity for Research Scientists to have a direct impact on drug discovery using innovative ML approaches for modeling cells and tissues in health and disease. These are newly created roles; driven by a passion for problem solving, you will need to use your previous experience and show initiative in order to fully carve out your contribution.

What you will do

• Make original research contributions to enable machine learning model development, applied to cell and/or tissue biology, that impacts one or more critical problems in drug development.
• Identify and create novel ML approaches, model architecture, and training strategies, along with the required data to train.
• Analyse and tune experimental results to inform future experimental directions.
• Work within cross-functional ML Research, Chemistry, Engineering and Biology Teams, to direct research hypotheses and deliver outstanding research.
• Use your experience to undertake analysis of diverse computational biology datasets, including genetics, genomics, single-cell and bulk transcriptomics, proteomics, functional perturbation screens, imaging, knowledge graphs, PPI, clinical or other data types.
• Work in partnership with other Research & Development teams to evaluate the utility of research models, and incorporate feedback to ensure research outputs deliver high impact for drug design and development.
• Work with Bioinformatics, Data, and other groups to influence Iso’s datasets and pipelines strategy, to ensure innovative insights from these data are consistently brought to bear within drug development programmes.
• Perform thorough data analysis and data quality assurance checks, with a strong focus on accuracy and reproducibility, inline with industry standard processes.
• Work with other members of the Computational Biology team to deliver a unified team strategy.
• Report and present research findings and developments clearly and efficiently, and p rovide documentation, guidance, and communication on computational biology to the wider organisation.

Skills and qualifications

• Experience in computational biology specializing in cell and/or tissue biology, with PhD and research experience (i.e. postdoctoral or industry experience), or equivalent experience
• Track record of delivery of outstanding research using deep learning techniques, including designing new ML architectures, hands-on experimentation, analysis, and visualisation
• Strong knowledge of linear algebra, calculus, probability, and statistics
• Demonstrated ability to write clean, idiomatic, and highly performant Python code
• Experience using ML frameworks such as JAX, PyTorch, or TensorFlow, and scientific software such as NumPy, SciPy, or Pandas
• Expertise with detailed data quality control procedures and data visualisation
• Experience with experimental design and statistical analysis
• Demonstrated understanding of computational biology tools and methodologies and experience with the analysis of large -omics datasets
• Familiarity with a variety of assaying techniques, including NGS, cell-based assays, functional genomics, single-cell techniques, and image-based assays and their respective data analysis approaches
• Demonstrated understanding of the principles of molecular cell biology and genetics, or related biological disciplines
• Familiarity with data processing pipelines and tools
• Ability to effectively communicate scientific concepts to a variety of audiences
• Experience in using Git for version control and familiarity with CI/CD concepts
• Experience working in a Linux environment
• Demonstrated ongoing career progression / trajectory and a passion for learning

Nice to have:

• Experience in the context of therapeutic or diagnostic development programmes
• Familiarity with structural biology and biochemistry
• Experience working with complex data types, such as 3D epigenomics, long-reads, live imaging, and single-molecule localization microscopy
• Familiarity with the current landscape of immuno-oncology research and therapeutic approaches
• Experience working with clinical data
• Experience in applying computational biology methods to the process of drug discovery, such as methods used for disease modelling and target discovery, combination strategies, as well as biomarker development
• Experience applying computational biology workflows on Google Cloud Platform

Culture and values

We are guided by our shared values. It's not about finding people who think and act in the same way. These values help to guide our work and will continue to strengthen it.

Thoughtful
Thoughtful at Iso is about curiosity, creativity and care. It is about good people doing good, rigorous and future-making science every single day.

Brave
Brave at Iso is about fearlessness, but it’s also about initiative and integrity. The scale of the challenge demands nothing less.

Determined
Determined at Iso is the way we pursue our goal. It’s a confidence in our hypothesis, as well as the urgency and agility needed to deliver on it. Because disease won’t wait, so neither should we.

Together
Together at Iso is about connection, collaboration across fields and catalytic relationships. It’s knowing that transformation is a group project, and remembering that what we’re doing will have a real impact on real people everywhere.

Creating an extraordinary company

We believe that to be successful we need a team with a range of skills and talents. We're building an environment where collaboration is fundamental, learning is shared and every employee feels supported and able to thrive. We value unique experiences, knowledge, backgrounds, and perspectives, and harness these qualities to create extraordinary impact.

We are committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of sex, race, religion or belief, ethnic or national origin, disability, age, citizenship, marital, domestic or civil partnership status, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy or related condition (including breastfeeding) or any other basis protected by applicable law. If you have a disability or additional need that requires accommodation, please do not hesitate to let us know.

It’s hugely important for us to share knowledge and build strong relationships with each other, and we find it easier to do this if we spend time together in person. This is why we follow a hybrid model, and would require you to be able to come into the office 3 days a week (currently Tuesday, Wednesday, and one other day depending on which team you’re in). If you have additional needs that would prevent you from following this hybrid approach, we’d be happy to talk through these if you’re selected for an initial screening call.

Please note that when you submit an application, your data will be processed in line with our privacy policy .

Interested in building your career at Isomorphic Labs? Get future opportunities sent straight to your email.

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

Enter manually

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, txt, rtf

LinkedIn Profile

Website

Are you based in, or would you be willing to relocate to the UK or Switzerland? * Select...

What are you ideally looking for in terms of salary expectations (base / total package)? Please note that this is NOT your current package. (Optional)

What is your current notice period?

What would your preferred working approach be in terms of coming into the office (assuming it is safe to do so)? (Optional) Select...

Where did you hear about Iso?

Press article / publication

DeepMind website

LinkedIn

Twitter

Indeed

Other job board

Search engine

Conference/event (please let us know which one below)

Alphabet Grow (current employee of GDM)

Alphabet Grow (current employee of any other Bet)

Referred by an employee at Isomorphic Labs (please let us know who below)

Other

Where did you hear about Iso? (Additional info)

Is there anything else you'd like us to know?

Iso Demographic Questions

We value diversity of experience, knowledge, backgrounds and perspectives and harness these qualities to create extraordinary impact. We are working to build teams that reflect and represent the populations we are striving to serve. As part of this effort we would like to better understand our candidate audience, so that we can continue to improve.

We need your help to do this, but filling in this form is entirely voluntary. You may choose not to provide the requested demographic information. Whether you choose to provide the information or not, this will be kept separate from your application and will have no bearing on any hiring decision.

Any demographic information you provide will be anonymised and held separately from your application. No Isomorphic Labs hiring decision makers will have access to this information and the information will only be used for aggregated reporting and monitoring purposes, not for the purposes of your application or making any hiring decisions. You can find more information about how we process diversity and demographic information in our Applicant and Candidate Privacy Notice .

If you have any questions about the form contact us:[e-mail] .

Is the gender you identify with the same as your gender registered at birth? Select...

What is your ethnicity? (Ethnic origin is not about nationality, place of birth or citizenship. It is about the group to which you perceive you belong.) Select...

What is your sexual orientation? Select...

By checking this box, I consent to Isomorphic Labs collecting, storing, and processing my responses to the demographic data surveys above.