Research Assistant/Fellow

Applications are invited for a research fellow to join the research group led by Dr Rishi Gupta within the Research Department of Respiratory Medicine (UCL Respiratory, Division of Medicine). The post is funded by the National Institute for Health Research UCL/UCLH Biomedical Research Centre and will contribute to a range of projects across the ‘Infection, Immunopathology and Immunotherapeutics’ theme. Diagnostic and prognostic research is central to the theme, with multiple objectives seeking to develop and validate novel biomarkers or multivariable models to predict disease, clinical outcomes and responses to therapeutic interventions.

The post involves close collaborations with infection and fibrosis groups at UCL (led by Prof Mahdad Nourasdeghi and Prof Joanna Porter). UCL Respiratory is an internationally recognised centre of excellence for respiratory science that consists of ~13 groups and ~85 people working on diverse aspects of lung diseases. Our research approaches cover the full range from basic science and computational biology through to clinical cohorts, interventional studies and large-scale data science projects. This provides an excellent research environment, with considerable support from a cadre of highly-skilled researchers working across a range of diseases and research approaches.

The post-holder will provide data science support for diagnostic and prognostic analytic work, focusing on projects addressing: (1) acute infectious diseases presenting to UK hospital emergency departments; (2) improving stratification of preventive treatment for tuberculosis; (3) development, evaluation and implementation of a patient-focused decision aid to support patient choices for preventative therapy for tuberculosis; (4) patient stratification in interstitial lung disease. A common theme across these analyses will be the integration of multimodal data (e.g. clinical and molecular) to predict disease status and clinical outcomes, with the ultimate aim of enabling personalised treatment approaches.

Data types may include clinical data, laboratory test results and whole blood RNA sequencing. The post-holder will be supported to develop their skills in data science, including biomarker evaluation and multivariable prediction model development and validation using state-of-the-art methods. They will be supported to contribute to the development of grant applications (particularly a PhD or post-doctoral Fellowship as appropriate), manuscripts and conference presentations. The post-holder will work with the supervisory team to develop reproducible analytic code pipelines. The post is for 18 months in the first instance. The role is advertised as full-time, but part-time hours will be considered. The role is advertised as post-doctoral but pre-doctoral applications will also be considered. Please note that pre-doctoral positions will not be eligible for UCL visa sponsorship due to a minimum salary threshold.

The position will suit a highly motivated pre- or post-doctoral data scientist interested in respiratory and infectious diseases. They will work at the interface of clinical and bioinformatic data science. Applicants should have (or about to be awarded) a Masters level or PhD degree in a relevant subject, with an enthusiasm for clinical data science. They should be familiar with scientific method, including the application of statistical approaches to data interpretation. They should be able to undertake rigorous critical appraisal of primary scientific data. Good oral and written communication skills are essential, and they must be able to show a commitment to effective multi-disciplinary teamwork.

This is an exciting opportunity to join a multidisciplinary team working across the Division of Medicine. As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits:

• 41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave, 8 bank holidays and 6 closure days)
• Additional 5 days’ annual leave purchase scheme
• Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)
• Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan
• Immigration loan
• Relocation scheme for certain posts
• On-Site nursery
• On-site gym
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
• Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service
• Discounted medical insurance

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people. Our department holds an Athena SWAN Silver award, in recognition of our commitment and demonstrable impact in advancing gender equality.