King's College London

THIS VACANCY IS OPEN TO INTERNAL APPLICANTS ONLY

About Us

The post will be based in the research group of Professor Michael Simpson a multidisciplinary team with expertise in genetics, genomics, immunology and dermatology. The group is co-located in the Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics and the St John's Institute of Dermatology at King's College London at the Guy's Campus in London Bridge.

About the role

We are seeking a highly motivated Research Fellow with a strong background in statistical genetics and/or computational biology to join our team.

The successful applicant will lead a cutting-edge research programme which aims to  understand the genetic and molecular mechanisms of complex inflammatory skin diseases.  The applicant will be encouraged to identify and drive a theme within our programme, depending on their expertise, development needs, and interest.

An estimated 20–25% of the population is affected by inflammatory skin diseases, the most common of which include eczema, psoriasis and acne. Easing the burden of these diseases warrants attention owing to their high prevalence, visibility, psychosocial impact, need for long-term treatment and associated costs. Inter-individual variability in response and tolerability of existing treatments further adds to the already substantial impact on quality of life and underlines the need for improved knowledge on pathogenic mechanisms to inform novel drug targets for inflammatory skin diseases.

Over the last 10 years our team has led the identification of the genetic variation that contributes to susceptibility and severity of inflammatory skin diseases and the biological mechanisms through which they operate. We have established collaborations across the globe and built a research programme that leverages high throughput, high-resolution sequencing platforms and novel analytical methods.

This role represents a unique opportunity to generate biological insights from our large-scale research datasets including single-cell multiomic sequencing data from skin and blood to enable the identification of the causal mechanisms of disease, the cell-types in which they occur and the identification of therapeutic targets. There are also substantial opportunities to explore the impact of selection and use genetics as a tool to investigate the potential causal relationship between inflammatory skin disease and mental health traits.

The ideal candidate will have a Ph.D. in computational or statistical genetics and genomics or a related field with a proven track record in the analysis of large biological datasets.

They are expected to be able to work effectively as part of a team but also to direct research independently as required. This post represents an exceptional opportunity for career development within a highly supportive environment for both early- and mid-career researchers.

This is a part time post (21 hours per week), and you will be offered an fixed term contract for 2 years

About You

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

Essential criteria

1. PhD awarded in genetic epidemiology, statistical genetics, bioinformatics or related discipline 
2. Postdoctoral research experience in genetic epidemiology, statistical genetics, bioinformatics or related discipline 
3. Strong computational skills, with expertise in scripting in BASH and either R or Python 
4. Experience with analysing complex datasets on high-performance compute clusters 
5. A track record of generating creative and innovative solutions to scientific problems 
6. Organised and systematic approach to research 
7. Demonstrated ability to perform and publish high-impact research 
8. Ability work successfully as part of a team, to supervise the work of others and to focus team efforts and motivate individuals 
9. Exceptional presentation skills and data visualisation skills 
10. Evidence of self-directed productivity & Ability to work under pressure and to meet deadlines

Desirable criteria

1. Experience of processing and analysis of human genomic, transcriptomic (including single-cell) and phenotype data, including EHR data 
2. Experience in population genetics 
3. Proven knowledge and understanding of competitive research funding and ability to develop applications to funding bodies 

Downloading a copy of our Job Description

Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the next page after you click “Apply Now”. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

Further Information

We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community.

We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King's.

As part of this commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and through this appointment process, it is our aim to develop candidate pools that include applicants from all backgrounds and communities.

We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the advert. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.

To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our ‘How we Recruit’ pages.

Interviews are due to be held in June 2025.