King's College London

About Us

The role is situated in the Section of Ophthalmology at King's College London, part of the School of Life Course and Population Sciences within the Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine, based at St Thomas’ Hospital in central London. The department focuses on cohorts including TwinsUK and UK Biobank to better understand the genetic and environmental factors influencing health and disease. Its extensive research portfolio covers genetics, epigenetics, metabolomics, microbiome and environmental impacts—such as lifestyle and diet—on complex eye conditions like glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration and myopia. The department also studies healthy ageing, contributing significantly to genetic epidemiology and public health. Strong collaborations within KCL and with national and international partners further amplify the department's research impact and reach.  

About the role

The Research Associate in Health-related Data Science is suitable for a post-doctoral scientist with skills in biostatistics, bioinformatics and big data computational biology with initiative and drive to contribute to research into the genetic and ’omic epidemiology of chronic conditions, in particular eye conditions such as glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration and myopia.

This post will work on the genetic epidemiology of common eye conditions (and other non-ocular diseases, potentially), supporting the research activities of Prof Chris Hammond (Head of Ophthalmology Section) and Dr Pirro Hysi (Reader), within the School of Life Course & Population Health Sciences.

The group is developing multi-omic analyses including genetics, metabolomics and the microbiome to understand their relationship with chronic complex traits. The use of two sample Mendelian randomisation is allowing us to define the risk factors which cause common complex conditions, and how they interact with host genetics.

The post holder will work on data from cohorts including TwinsUK and UK Biobank and is expected to be familiar with aspects of genetic epidemiology including GWAS and multi-omic modelling. The post holder will also be opportunities to engage in other projects using deeply phenotyped cohorts, as well as with other projects involving clinical samples and non-ocular age-related diseases.

The post holder is expected to be able to direct research independently, supervise students and have a good breadth of knowledge of genetic epidemiology and epidemiology research methods and background. This post is within a highly supportive environment for both early- and mid-career researchers and the ability to work as part of a team is essential.

This is a full-time post (35 hours per week), and you will be offered a fixed term contract until 31/08/2028.

About You

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

Essential criteria

1. PhD in biostatistics, genetic epidemiology or computational biology, ’omics “big data” science *
2. Sound knowledge of biostatistics and bioinformatics 
3. Experience of contributing to writing manuscripts for publication  
4. Experience of bioinformatics analysis methods, including strong programming skills that include knowledge of R or Python, and experience with statistical and genetic analysis packages 
5. Organised and systematic approach to research 
6. Problem solving skills – both within the project and more broadly in the institution  
7. Evidence of successful team-working 
8. Strong computational Skills 
9. Ability to work under pressure & to meet deadlines and self-directed productivity 

* Please note that this is a PhD level role but candidates who have submitted their thesis and are awaiting award of their PhDs will be considered. In these circumstances the appointment will be made at Grade 5, spine point 30 with the title of Research Assistant. Upon confirmation of the award of the PhD, the job title will become Research Associate and the salary will increase to Grade 6.  

Desirable criteria

1. Experience with working across ’omics  
2. Extensive experience in presenting research at conferences, both oral presentations and posters   
3. Good publication record 
4. Experience of applying for research funding 

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 page. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

Further Information

At King’s, we believe that the diversity of our community and a culture that is welcoming, open, inclusive and collaborative, are great strengths of the university. 

The Equality Act of 2010 protects the rights of our students and staff and provides a framework to fulfil our duties to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and in addition, to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between those who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. At times, this will include balancing rights and beliefs that can feel in tension.

We are committed to free speech and to academic freedom, believing that our foundational purpose as a university, is to create spaces where a wide range of ideas, including ideas that are controversial, can be discussed and debated, and where members of our community can express lawful views without fear of intimidation, harassment or discrimination.

When engaging in the robust exchange of ideas, we ask that our community is mindful of our Dignity at King’s guidance.

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 person specification section of the job description. 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.

We reserve the right to close adverts early due to the volume of applications we receive. While the closing date may change, all adverts will close at 23:59 to allow sufficient time for applications to be submitted on that day.

We encourage you to apply at the earliest opportunity to avoid disappointment as once we have closed a vacancy you will be unable to submit your application.

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 on second week of June.