Social network you want to login/join with:
Postdoctoral Research Scientist in Virus Evolution and Bioinformatics
We are recruiting a postdoctoral research scientist to lead virus evolution and bioinformatic data analysis for our program on wastewater surveillance for pandemic pathogens.
The world faces an unprecedented risk of new infectious disease pandemics. Global surveillance for emerging zoonotic viruses remains inadequate, especially in low-income populations at greatest risk. Wastewater surveillance offers a scalable tool for detecting spillover infections and human transmission of concerning viral families. Funded by the Gates Foundation and the Institute of Philanthropy, we are establishing the Wastewater Surveillance for Pandemic Prevention (WaSPP) network, developing and piloting wastewater surveillance strategies, laboratory methods, and analytical tools across Africa and Asia. Our protocols and software will be publicly available to facilitate wider testing and sustained implementation.
A key component of WaSPP's research involves analyzing virus sequence data generated through surveillance activities. This involves next-generation sequencing of viral RNA/DNA from wastewater samples to identify viruses and infer potential human infection and transmission. The analysis includes studying viral evolution, simulating scenarios, and applying analytical pipelines to data from the WaSPP network.
This three-year position is suitable for a biologist, mathematician, or similar with research experience in infectious disease epidemiology, evolutionary biology, or bioinformatics, and a desire to improve global public health.
In the first year, the successful candidate will incorporate models of virus evolution into mathematical models of spillover infection and transmission for prototype viruses of concern, supporting the development of virus sequence analysis methods and inference of human transmission.
Subsequently, they will support the analysis of wastewater sequence data following pilot implementation, refining models of virus evolution and contributing to the development of analytical pipelines and tools. The role involves collaboration with the WaSPP team at Imperial and the global WaSPP network, including partners in the UK, Ghana, DRC, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Cambodia.
The position offers opportunities for high-impact publications and engagement with centers of excellence in the UK and high-risk countries.
The successful applicant will be based in the Vaccine Epidemiology Research Group (VERG) within the Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology and the MRC Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis. VERG comprises epidemiologists and laboratory scientists working on viral and bacterial pathogens, with a focus on vaccines and genomics. We are a collaborative, internationally recognized group.
Essential qualifications include experience with sequence data, programming in Python or R, and a strong interest in infectious disease epidemiology.
Applicants for Research Associate should hold a PhD in infectious disease epidemiology, evolutionary biology, bioinformatics, or a related quantitative field, with strong analytical skills and an interest in infectious disease epidemiology and vaccine research. Candidates without an official PhD at the time of appointment will be designated as Research Assistant.
Benefits include:
* The opportunity to advance your career at a world-leading institution and contribute to our mission to advance science for humanity.
* Career growth prospects, including promotion opportunities.
* Competitive salary and benefits, including 39 days off annually and a generous pension scheme.
* A diverse, inclusive, and collaborative work environment with resources to support your personal and professional development.
#J-18808-Ljbffr