Postdoctoral fellow or Research Assistant (epilepsy computational research)

Unist; Dublin; Hybrid; EUR 38,000 - 52,000; Full time

Job summary

RCSI - Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland invites applications for a Postdoctoral fellow or Research Assistant (epilepsy computational research) in the Physiology & Medical Physics department. The role supports the CONTACTS project, requiring a recently completed PhD in bioinformatics or computational neuroscience and strong Python/R programming skills.

The position offers a Specified Purpose Contract, part-time or full time for up to 12 months with potential extension.

Qualifications

• PhD in bioinformatics or systems/computational neuroscience as applied to epilepsy or a closely related disease area.
• Advanced proficiency in programming languages such as Python and R (or similar).
• Experience analysing single-cell, small noncoding RNA and coding RNA datasets from epilepsy models or related brain diseases.

Responsibilities

• Design, plan and execute data QC analysis, bioinformatics and statistics for the CONTACTS project on stereoEEG-recovered molecular signatures of epileptogenicity.
• Apply advanced molecular network analyses and data integration approaches.
• Maintenance of datasets and FAIR data compliance, including lodging data on open access sites.
• Preparation and presentation of reports and manuscripts.
• Liaising with relevant personnel in the CONTACTS project nationally and internationally.
• Occasionally, work flexible hours in line with research needs.

Skills

Python

R

Education

PhD in bioinformatics or related field

Job description

RCSI - Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland

Organisation/Company RCSI - Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland Department Human Resources Research Field Medical sciences » Health sciences Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Positions PhD Positions Application Deadline 15 Oct 2026 - 23:45 (Europe/Dublin) Country Ireland Type of Contract Temporary 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

Job Title: Postdoctoral fellow or Research Assistant (epilepsy computational research)

Department: Physiology & Medical Physics

Reporting to: Prof David Henshall and Dr Niamh Connolly

Location: RCSI main campus at 123 St Stephen Green, 118 St Stephen’s Green and York Street Research Institute, Dublin, Ireland

Contract/Duration: Specified Purpose Contract, part-time or full time for up 12 months with the potential to extend

Remuneration: Research Assistant Scale, dependent on experience, or Postdoctoral fellow, point 1.

Closing Date: October 15th 2026

RCSI is a community of academic, research, clinical and professional staff working collaboratively to lead the world to better health. Here, you will thrive in an innovative and inclusive atmosphere and your personal development and wellbeing will be supported. We invite you to join us to help deliver on our exciting mission “To educate, nurture and discover for the benefit of human health”. We seek candidates whose experience to date has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to the “Race Equality Action Plan 2025-2029” at RCSI. Our students come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds. This makes our university stronger and ensures we hire the best talent.

Innovating for a Healthier Future 2023-2027 is RCSI’s new five-year strategic plan. Through it, RCSI will enhance human health by meeting the health workforce needs of society, creating the insights and inventions that drive health improvements, and working in partnership with patients and the public in support of better health and well-being for all. The strategy unites the RCSI community in supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals – with a particular focus on Goal 3, which targets good health and well-being.

For each of the last six years, RCSI has been positioned in the Top 300 of universities worldwide in the Times Higher World University Rankings. We are proud that RCSI ranks first in the world for “Good Health and Well-being” in the Times Higher Education #SDG #SDG Impact Rankings 2025. This reflects our commitment to supporting people of all ages to live healthy lives and our work to promote the concepts of well-being and positive health. In 2024, RCSI was delighted to be named one of the Sunday Times Best Places to Work in Ireland.

At RCSI, our core values of Respect, Collaboration, Scholarship, and Innovation are at the heart of everything we do. We are committed to creating an inclusive and supportive environment where every colleague is valued and empowered to thrive. Our dedication to these values ensures that we foster a culture of mutual respect, open collaboration, continuous learning, and innovative thinking. Join us at RCSI, where your contributions will be recognised, and you will be part of a dynamic team making a real impact on global health.

About Our Research

RCSI recognises that excellence in research is critical to the quality of its educational activities, its credibility, and, overall, to its mission to enhance human health. RCSI’s research strategy aims to build upon its strength in translational biomedical and clinical research to deliver transformational, high impact changes in health care. Targeting both Irish national and EU funding, along with increased collaboration with industry, is a major part of the RCSI research strategy. Forging increased collaboration between RCSI PIs and industry is of critical importance to achieving success in this area. RCSI is also committed to provide its researchers with the supports and developmental opportunities to enable them to continuously grow and support their overall career development.

Summary of Post

A Postdoctoral researcher position (or Research Assistant, experience-dependent) is available to join a joint project between the laboratory of Prof David C Henshall and Dr Niamh Connolly at the RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences in Ireland. We are seeking a self-motivated, creative and collaborative team member with a recent Master’s or PhD degree in bioinformatics, computational neuroscience or a relevant discipline.

Specifically, the duties of the post are:

• Design, plan and execute data QC analysis, bioinformatics and statistics to support the CONTACTS project on stereoEEG-recovered molecular signatures of epileptogenicity
• Apply advanced molecular network analyses, master regulator analysis, and multi-modal data integration approaches.
• Maintenance of datasets and FAIR data compliance, including lodging data on open access sites.
• Preparation and presentation of reports and manuscripts.
• Liaising with relevant personnel in the CONTACTS project nationally and internationally
• At times, be required to work flexible hours in line with research needs.

Qualifications – (Essential):

• PhD qualification in bioinformatics or systems/computational neuroscience as applied to epilepsy or a closely related disease area. Candidates whose thesis is due to be submitted by the time of appointment are eligible.
• Advanced proficiency in programming languages such as Python and R (or similar)

Knowledge & Experience – (Essential):

• Experience analysing single cell, small noncoding RNA and coding RNA datasets from clinical and preclinical models of epilepsy or a relevant brain disease
• General lab experience; immunohistochemistry, sample analyses for single cell studies
• Strong organisation and project management skills to ensure tasks are delivered on time and within agreed parameters.
• Proficient IT skills including experience with R and related programming tools.
• Strong communication skills with a proven ability to liaise with various stakeholders across a number of different departments.

We are all too aware that imposter syndrome and the confidence gap can sometimes stop fantastic candidates putting themselves forward, so please do submit an application — we’d love to hear from you.

At RCSI, people are at the heart of everything we do. Watch our short video to discover our culture, values, and shared commitment to making a meaningful impact on health worldwide. RCSI: Ensemble - Body Meets Mind.