Bioinformatics Research Associate

About the role

Are you an ambitious bioinformatician looking to apply cutting-edge computational biology to one of the most exciting challenges in global health?

As a Bioinformatics Research Associate in this specially created position by Imperial College to support the success of the £7.5 million ARIA-funded M2M (Mechanism to Medicine) programme, you will play a central role in helping to uncover the innate immune mechanisms that protect individuals from respiratory viral infections and accelerate the development of a new generation of preventative medicines.

Working alongside Professor Ajit Lalvani and a multidisciplinary consortium of leading academic and industry partners (including Prof Marko Nikolic at UCL, Dr Adrian Grzybowski at AnuBio inc., and Dr Sarah Teichman at University of Cambridge among others), you will integrate and analyse complex multi-omics datasets, generate novel biological insights, and directly support AI-driven approaches to therapeutic discovery.

What you would be doing

• Lead the harmonisation, integration and analysis of large-scale multi-omics datasets, including single-cell transcriptomics, epigenomics and proteomics data.
• Develop, maintain and document robust computational pipelines for processing and quality control of next-generation sequencing and proteomics datasets.
• Identify innate immune correlates of protection through advanced bioinformatics analyses across clinical and laboratory-derived datasets.
• Work closely with AI and mathematical modelling teams to ensure bioinformatics outputs support downstream predictive modelling and therapeutic development.
• Collaborate with researchers across Imperial, UCL, industry partners and international collaborators to deliver key project milestones.
• Present findings to collaborators, funding bodies and at scientific conferences, while contributing to high-impact publications and future grant applications.
• Support implementation of FAIR data principles and open science practices across the programme

What we are looking for

We are looking for a highly motivated and collaborative scientist with:

• A PhD in bioinformatics, computational biology, computer science, genetics, statistics or a closely related discipline (or equivalent experience).

*Candidates who have not yet been officially awarded their PhD will be appointed as a Research Assistant within the salary range £45,399 - £48,876 per annum.

• Strong programming skills in Python, R, Bash and/or Perl and experience working in Unix/Linux environments.
• Hands-on experience analysing genomics and multi-omics datasets, including scRNA-seq, scATAC-seq, bulk RNA-seq and proteomics data.
• Experience developing reproducible computational workflows using tools such as Nextflow, Snakemake or equivalent workflow management systems.
• Experience working with HPC or cloud computing infrastructure and modern reproducible research practices.
• Excellent analytical, communication and problem-solving skills, with the ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• A passion for translating complex biological data into impactful scientific discoveries.

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.
• Grow your career: gain access to Imperial's sector-leading dedicated career support for researchers as well as opportunities for promotion and progression.
• 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.
• The opportunity to work on a pioneering £7.5 million ARIA-funded programme with the potential to transform protection against respiratory viral diseases.
• A unique position at the interface of bioinformatics, immunology, artificial intelligence and translational medicine.
• Collaboration with leading researchers and partners from Imperial College London, UCL, industry and international institutions.
• Genuine opportunities to contribute to high-impact publications, establish scientific independence and support future funding applications.

Further information

This is a full-time post (35 hours per week), fixed-term (48 months).

If you require any further details about the role, please contact: Sofia Koletsi s.koletsi@imperial.ac.uk