Postdoctoral Fellow – [C Swanton] Cancer Evolution and Genome Instability Laboratory

Salary for this Role: From £47,500 with benefits, subject to skills and experience.

Reports to: Charles Swanton

Closing Date: 03/May/2026 23.59 GMT

Details of the role:

This is a full-time, 4 year fixed term position on Crick terms and conditions of employment.

The Francis Crick Institute is Europe’s largest biomedical research institute under one roof. Our world-class scientists and staff collaborate on vital research to help prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, infectious diseases and neurodegenerative conditions. The Crick is a place for collaboration, innovation and exploration across many disciplines. A space where the brightest minds can pursue big and bold ideas and discover answers to crucial scientific questions. We support them in a dynamic environment which fosters excellence with state-of-the-art infrastructure, cutting-edge facilities, and a creative and curious culture.

About the role

The Research Group: We are looking for a creative and enthusiastic Postdoctoral Fellow to join the C Swanton Cancer Evolution and Genome Instability Laboratory. This lab studies how cancers evolve in the body to spread and become resistant to therapy and find new ways to treat them more effectively.

The Project: Lung cancer remains one of the most pressing public health concerns worldwide, demanding innovative research to address its complexities and challenges. To this end, our research presents two distinct yet intertwined project directions for a postdoc candidate.

• Firstly, we are committed to advancing our understanding of the biology of lung tumour evolution based around analysis of next generation sequence (NGS) data and the tumour microenvironment from the TRACERx longitudinal lung cancer program. Our aim is to trace the intricate evolutionary trajectories of lung tumours across space and time. This work will unveil the key drivers of cancer progression, immune resistance mechanisms, and potential vulnerabilities within the tumour landscape.
• In parallel, our second research direction investigates the role of non-mutagenic carcinogens in lung cancer initiation. By identifying common inflammatory pathways across different tissues, we aspire to identify actionable targets within these pathways suitable for therapeutic intervention to prevent the onset of cancer.

What you will be doing:

• Working within the multi-disciplinary team of clinicians, bioinformaticians and bench scientists in the Swanton lab, and collaborating with groups at the Francis Crick Institute and beyond, including academic and industry partners.
• Driving the project forward using relevant experimental and/or computational approaches.
• Keeping up to date with the relevant literature in the field of cancer biology.
• Attending and reporting research results at regular group meetings.
• Contributing to the dissemination of scientific results by means of writing papers for publication and presenting orally and in poster form at national and international meetings.
• Leading their own projects, contributing to other projects on a collaborative basis.

About you:

We are seeking applications from both experimental and computational candidates for this role.

You will have:

Essential:

• PhD, or in the final stages of PhD completion in cancer biology / evolutionary biology / cancer immunology / genomics or other relevant discipline.
• Good knowledge and experience in at least one of the following: cancer biology / cancer immunology / epithelial cell biology / evolutionary biology / genomics / statistics / mathematics or machine learning.
• Technical qualifications:

• For bench scientist: expertise in mouse models of cancer, functional in vitro assays, experience with alveolar Type 2 organoid cell culture, experience with tissue histology/ flow cytometry methods, familiarity with CRISPR/Cas9 or other genetic perturbation approaches.
• For computational scientist: previous experience with NGS data analysis; fluency in R, Python or C++.

About Working at the Crick:

Our values: Everyone who works at the Crick has a valuable role to play in advancing the Crick’s mission and shaping our culture. We are bold. We make space for creative, dynamic and imaginative ideas and approaches. We’re not afraid to do things differently. We are open. We’re highly collaborative and interactive, and make sure our activities are visible to the outside world. We are collegial. We show respect for one another, work cooperatively and support the wider community.

At the Francis Crick Institute, we believe that diversity and inclusion are essential to driving innovation and scientific discovery. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to succeed, regardless of their background, identity, or personal circumstances. We actively encourage applications from individuals of all genders, ethnicities, abilities, and experiences.

We are a Disability Confident: Committed employer and want to ensure that everyone can apply and be part of our recruitment processes and so we will make reasonable adjustments if you need them - just let us know when you apply. If you need assistance with applying (i.e., would like to apply by phone or post) please email: karen.au@crick.ac.uk.

At the Francis Crick Institute, we value our team members and are proud to offer an extensive range of benefits to support their well-being and development:

• Visas: Applicants for this role will be eligible for sponsorship to work in the UK.
• Generous Leave: 28 days of annual leave, plus three additional days over Christmas and bank holidays.
• Pension Scheme: Defined contribution pension with employer contributions of up to 16%.
• Health & Well-being: 24/7 GP consultation services. Occupational health services and mental health support programs. Eye care vouchers and discounted healthcare plans.
• Work-Life Balance: Back-up care for dependents. Childcare support allowance. Annual leave purchase options. Crick Networks offering diverse groups’ support, community and inclusive social events.
• Perks: Discounted gym memberships, bike-to-work scheme, and shopping discounts. Subsidised on-site restaurant and social spaces for team interaction.

Please note you must meet the essential criteria listed within the Role Profile, to have your application reviewed.

We reserve the right to withdraw this advert at any given time due to the number of applications received.