Principal/Senior Data Scientist

Do you want to help us improve human health and understand life on Earth? Make your mark by shaping the future to enable or deliver life-changing science to solve some of humanity’s greatest challenges. We are hiring a Senior Data Scientist/Principal Data Scientist to join our interdisciplinary team at the forefront of computational biology and AI for a 2 year fixed term contract. You will contribute to (lead - principal data scientist) transformative projects that integrate single-cell genomics, spatial transcriptomics, and generative AI to build next-generation models for understanding tissue biology and cellular dynamics across organs such as the pancreas, kidney, skin, and liver.

Available Research Focus Areas

• Spatial & Multi-omics Atlas Construction: Build large-scale spatial and single-cell atlases across diseased tissues (pancreas, kidney, skin, liver) using spatial transcriptomics, scRNA-seq, and multiome data in collaboration with leading Sanger groups.
• Generative AI for Cell Fate & Perturbations: Develop diffusion, flow-matching, and transformer-based generative models to predict cell fate, tissue remodelling, and drug or perturbation responses in silico.
• Foundational Models for Single-Cell Biology: Train large, generalizable deep models across public and internal datasets to support the Human Cell Atlas and broad Sanger research programs.
• Open Targets Translational AI Projects: Apply foundational and multi-omics models to real-world challenges in drug discovery, target identification, and target safety in collaboration with major pharma partners.
• Agentic AI for Scientific Reasoning & Experiment Design: Develop AI agents capable of hypothesis generation, experiment planning, and multi-step scientific workflows using reinforcement learning and tool-use models.
• Core Machine Learning Research: Advance fundamental ML methods—including advanced generative modelling, scalable training algorithms, representation learning, and uncertainty modelling—tailored for biological data.
• Multimodal Learning (Imaging + Genomics + Clinical Data): Create models that integrate histopathology imaging, spatial proteomics, single-cell genomics, and patient-level clinical data to learn unified biological and clinical representations.
• Leap Project: We are interested in developing large-scale AI models to stratify patients using diverse multi-omics data, with a strong commitment to equity and inclusion, particularly in women’s health.

The Open Targets (OT) research programme generates and analyses data to connect targets to diseases, assess the strength of this evidence, and help identify and prioritise targets for drug discovery. This includes evidence that causally links targets and diseases, as well as foundational data that helps us understand biological processes and disease progression more deeply.

About Us

You will join the Lotfollahi Group, an interdisciplinary team of ML researchers, computational biologists, clinicians and experimentalists. Our mission is to develop data-driven and biologically grounded AI tools for decoding complex cellular systems. We collaborate closely with the Human Cell Atlas, Sanger's single-cell programs, and international leaders in the field.

About You

We welcome applications from diverse technical and scientific backgrounds — from those interested in fundamental questions in biology and medicine, to those focused on ML/AI method development. We are particularly excited to work with individuals who are passionate about biology, foundation model development, modelling cellular perturbation responses, predicting patient behaviours, and analysing multi-modal biological data.

• MSc and/or Ph.D. or equivalent experience in a relevant quantitative discipline (e.g., Computer Science, Computational Biology, Genetics, Bioinformatics, Physics, Engineering, or Applied Statistics/Mathematics).
• Proven experience using advanced statistical techniques, machine learning, and modern deep learning techniques.
• Previous ML work experience in scientific/academic environment (RA/Internships are considered as work experience).
• Strong knowledge of Python, including core data science libraries such as Scikit-Learn, SciPy, TensorFlow, and PyTorch.
• Knowledge of software development good practices and collaboration tools, including git-based version control, python package management, and code reviews.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to explain complex machine learning algorithms and statistical methods to non-technical stakeholders.
• Experience working with cloud environments and tools, such as Amazon AWS S3, EC2, etc.
• Evidence of related work experience as a researcher in the area of Machine learning.
• Strong publication record.
• Ability to quickly understand scientific, technical, and process challenges and breakdown complex problems into actionable steps.
• Ability to work in a frequently changing environment with the capability to interpret management information to amend plans.
• Ability to prioritize, manage workload, and deliver agreed activities consistently on time.
• Demonstrate good networking, influencing and relationship building skills.
• Strategic thinking is the ability to see the ‘bigger picture.
• Ability to build collaborative working relationships with internal and external stakeholders at all levels.
• Demonstrates inclusivity and respect for all.

Additional essential skills for the Principal Data Scientist:

• Experience in supervision (PhD students and Postdoctoral Fellows).
• Experience in writing manuscripts for publication.
• Experience working with cloud environments and tools, such as Amazon AWS S3, EC2, etc.
• Relevant solid publication record in either machine learning or application of machine learning in biology.

Salary per annum (dependent upon skills and experience): Please submit your CV and a cover letter detailing your research experience, interest in the focus area(s), and future aspirations.

Closing Date: 8th February 2026.

We recognise that there are many benefits to Hybrid Working; including an improved work-life balance, with more focused time, as well as the ability to organise working time so that collaborative opportunities and team discussions are facilitated on campus. The hybrid working arrangement will vary for different roles and teams. The nature of your role and the type of work you do will determine if a hybrid working arrangement is possible.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: We aim to attract, recruit, retain and develop talent from the widest possible talent pool, thereby gaining insight and access to different markets to generate a greater impact on the world. We have a supportive culture with the following staff networks, LGBTQ+, Parents and Carers, Disability and Race Equity to bring people together to share experiences, offer specific support and development opportunities and raise awareness. The networks are also a place for allies to provide support to others.

We want our people to be whoever they want to be because we believe people who bring their best selves to work, do their best work. That’s why we’re committed to creating a truly inclusive culture at Sanger Institute. We will consider all individuals without discrimination and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees, where everyone can thrive.

We are proud to deliver an awarding campus-wide employee wellbeing strategy and programme. The importance of good health and adopting a healthier lifestyle and the commitment to reduce work-related stress is strongly acknowledged and recognised at Sanger Institute.

Sanger Institute became a signatory of the International Technician Commitment initiative In March 2018. The Technician Commitment aims to empower and ensure visibility, recognition, career development and sustainability for technicians working in higher education and research, across all disciplines.

Every year the Wellcome Sanger Institute supports the visits of dozens of overseas researchers from across the globe to the Genome campus to collaborate, share insights and to undertake groundbreaking scientific research. Our reliable in-house service provides expert advice and guidance to support current and prospective staff, and visitors at various points of their journey. We are able to provide guidance through your entire journey, from initial visa application through to extensions and applications of Indefinite Leave to Remain, the service is proud to support your personal applications and those of your dependants and family members.

Wellcome Trust Genome Campus, Hinxton Saffron Walden, United Kingdom.