Research Associate - Multi-Omics Of Immune-Mediated Disease

Salary: £33,966 to £44,263 per annumNewcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent . We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.Closing Date: 23 June 2024The RoleThis is a unique opportunity to contribute your growing expertise in the integrated analyses of single cell genomic and proteomic datasets to Newcastle-led, collaborative projects supported by the NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) for Ageing and Multiple Long Term Conditions.We are looking for a highly motivated and methodologically-focussed researcher with a keen appreciation of immunobiology and strong computational skills to play a key role in our translational research group. Through the study of human “models” of immune-mediated disease, our large, multi-disciplinary team seeks to unravel their pathogenesis and so inform targeted therapeutic approaches that will improve outcomes for patients in the future.You will work collegiately to apply your informatics experience, assimilating complex datasets and deploying cutting-edge analytical methods that build new knowledge with strong translational potential.You will benefit from the sharing of ideas across our broad, collaborative network, in turn supporting skills development amongst students and colleagues within the group and presenting your findings at national and international fora.You will hold a PhD and demonstrate enthusiasm to develop experience in computational biology in this field. You will be an adaptive team player, ready to work collaboratively and creatively across disciplines and institutional boundaries.The projectWe have derived single cell sequencing (scSeq) data from the peripheral blood and tissue of people with evolving immune-mediated disease, obtained prospectively over serial time-points alongside paired genetic, epigenetic and proteomic data.Our carefully-curated patient cohorts include BIO-FLARE and MEDALLION – respectively of rheumatoid arthritis patients in remission who stopped treatment (of whom half subsequently experienced a flare), and of cancer patients who received immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) treatment (half of whom went on to develop immune-related toxicity). By studying these cohorts in parallel, new insight into shared and discriminatory mechanisms of immune-mediated pathology are anticipated. With scSeq analysis as its focus, your work may include analysis of paired flow cytometric, bulk-RNAseq, CpG methylation, spatial (tissue) and serum proteomics and spatial transcriptomics data.This post is fixed term for a period of 24 months in the first instance.For informal enquiries contact: ( ) or ( ).Find out more about the Faculty of Medical Sciences here:Find out more about our Research Institutes here:As part of our commitment to career development for research colleagues, the University has developed 3 levels of research role profiles. These profiles set out firstly the generic competences and responsibilities expected of role holders at each level and secondly the general qualifications and experiences needed for entry at a particular level.Key Accountabilities

• Although working under the general guidance of an academic or Principal Investigator, the postholder will contribute ideas, including enhancements to the technical or methodological aspects of their studies, thus providing substantial 'added value’
• Develop and carry out the specified project using appropriate techniques and equipment as outlined in the personal requirements
• Determine appropriate methodologies for research, with advice and support where required
• Contribute to grant applications submitted by others and in time develop own research objectives and proposals for funding
• Begin to write, with appropriate support, proposals for individual research funding or, where funders do not permit this, contribute to the writing of collective bids
• Assess research findings for the need/scope for further investigations
• Contribute to the writing up of their research for publication and dissemination, either through seminar and conference presentations or through publications
• Present research findings, either at conferences or through publications in reputable outlets appropriate to the discipline
• May be involved in the supervision, with guidance, of final year undergraduate research projects and in providing support to postgraduate research students, informatics technicians or research assistants
• Will need to work with the support staff and, on occasions, with undergraduate and postgraduate students, and interact intellectually with other academic members of the Institute
• May contribute to events celebrating the public engagement of science/social sciences/humanities
• Develop an awareness of University structures, policies and procedures and relevant issues in the higher education, research, social and political environment
• Work with other members of the Newcastle SPIDeRR team to integrate workstreams in order to maximise sample resources and deliver complimentary outputs
• Collaborate with our SPIDeRR partners locally and internationally, whilst contributing proactively to the project

The PersonKnowledge, Skills and Experience

• Ability to work well as part of a team and rapidly acquire new skills
• Detailed subject knowledge (PI to describe subject knowledge required) in the area of research
• Likelihood of advanced skills directly related to the research projects
• High level of analytical and problem-solving capability
• Ability to communicate complex information with clarity and to encourage the commitment of others
• Experience of research with clear transferable skills and some experience or awareness of the research environment
• Presentations at conferences and/or high-quality publications
• A background in computational biology including scSeq data analysis, together with a willingness to share knowledge and to learn
• A grounding in human immunology and/or the pathogenesis of immune-mediated disease

Desirable

• Experience in the analysis of additional large human biological datasets (including, for example, SNP genotype, multi-parameter flow cytometry, proteomics, methylation array and/or spatial transcriptomic/proteomic data
• Experience in analysing and combining multiple/multi-omic datasets

Attributes and Behaviour

• Collaborative team player.
• Willingness to contribute to more than one project at a time

Desirable

• Enthusiasm to develop interests in immune-mediated disease pathobiology, multi-omic analysis and data science

Qualifications

• A PhD in immunobiology, computational biology or similar discipline (awarded)

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society. We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.At Newcastle University we hold a silver award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality. We also hold a Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC. We are a employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe.Requisition ID: 27319