CG-TIC Senior Computational Biologist (Fixed Term)
The Cambridge-GSK Translational Immunology Collaboration (https://www.gsk.com/en-gb/media/press-releases/gsk-and-cambridge-university-announce-new-five-year-collaboration-in-kidney-and-respiratory-disease/) is a new, interdisciplinary partnership between the University of Cambridge and GSK, bringing together expertise in immunology, AI and clinical development from both partners. The collaboration will focus on two disease areas: chronic kidney disease, estimated to affect 850 million people, roughly 10% of the world's population and chronic respiratory disease, affecting around 545 million people (https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(20)30157-0/fulltext).¿The mission of the collaboration is to accelerate research and development into immune-related diseases by applying cutting edge analytical technology and analytical expertise.
The University of Cambridge is seeking a highly motivated and professional computational biology data scientist to lead an analytical team that will drive research and underpin the work of clinical and immunological researchers within CG-TIC. The role will facilitate cutting-edge scientific studies by providing expertise in biostatistics and informatics, mentoring and educating clinical investigators in research methods and overseeing a team of data scientists.
Who you'll be working with
The role is based in the Department of Medicine, working with clinical and scientific researchers from CG-TIC who are based primarily in the Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology & Infectious Disease (CITIID) and the Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Heart & Lung Research Institute (HLRI). CG-TIC also incorporates clinician researchers from the nearby Addenbrooke's and Royal Papworth Hospitals, and our partners at GSK. You will advise the CG-TIC Data Management Committee on research issues and cutting-edge approaches to data analysis. Leading your team of data scientists, you will provide a comprehensive data analytics service, working with research colleagues across CG-TIC to process and analyse complex and varied datasets.
What you will do
The collaboration will generate and have access to clinical and immunological data as well as many large data sets, including spectral immune phenotyping, proteomics and single cell sequencing data (both spatial and droplet) and Electronic Healthcare Record data. As well as ingestion, processing and analysis of data, you will be able to present your results to others in the collaboration and at conferences. You will be working with a wide range of stakeholders, and attention to detail and good organisational skills are key to the role.
Key duties include:
- Taking the computational biology lead on studies, including study design, analysis planning, programming, and data management to ensure implementation of plans.
- Direct management and mentoring of a team of data scientists.
- Collaborating with clinical and lab-based investigators in the different themes within CG-TIC to develop project-specific analysis plans.
- Leading methodological projects, including the incorporation or development of novel methods, and including collaboration with researchers in the Cambridge Centre for Artificial Intelligence in Medicine https://ccaim.uk/about/.
- Working with partners at GSK, sharing approaches to data analysis, and ensuring that the needs of all partners in the collaboration are met.
- Developing oral and written dissemination of findings for meetings with collaborators or publication as journal articles.
What experience you will have:
- A PhD in Computational Biology, Biostatistics, Statistics, Bioinformatics, or a related field.
- Experience in processing and analysing large biological datasets.
- Expertise in programming using at least one of R or Python.
- Experience in single-cell data analyses and integrative multi-omics approaches is strongly desired.
- A background in immunology and experience working with clinical trial data would be very useful.
- Capable of functioning independently and collaboratively at an advanced level, providing expert advice to the CG-TIC Data Management Committee.
- Outstanding oral and written communication skills with the ability to communicate technical information to a wide range of audiences.
- Skilled in descriptive analysis, data modelling and graphic interfaces.
- Demonstrated expertise in analytic tools.
- Experience supervising technical staff including training, mentoring, and coaching.
- Excellent organisational and communication skills.
Informal enquiries regarding this position are strongly encouraged: contact Prof Eoin McKinney (efm30@cam.ac.uk).
More information about the role is attached in the 'Further Particulars' document.
Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 2 years in the first instance.
This appointment requires a Research Passport application.
We support flexible and family-friendly working and are open to non-standard working patterns. While this is advertised as a full-time role, we would consider applications from candidates who are looking to work less than full-time hours and are open to applicants who live outside Cambridge but are willing to travel to Cambridge when required.
Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.
Please ensure that you upload a covering letter and CV in the Upload section of the online application. The covering letter should outline how you match the criteria for the post and why you are applying for this role. If you upload any additional documents which have not been requested, we will not be able to consider these as part of your application.
Please include details of your referees, including email address and phone number, one of which must be your most recent line manager.
Closing date: 16th June 2025
Interview dates: To be confirmed
Please quote reference RC46053 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.
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