Research Associate - Strand, London, WC2R 2LS

Research Associate - Strand, London, WC2R 2LS

About us

The Morris Complex Disease Genetics Group is based within the Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, School of Basic & Medical Biosciences, Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine at King's College London. The group applies statistical genetics and genetic epidemiology to understand the genetic basis of complex human diseases, with a particular focus on immune-mediated disease and infection. Working closely with colleagues across King's and national and international collaborators, we integrate large-scale genomic and phenotypic datasets to investigate disease mechanisms and improve understanding of human health. This post offers an exciting opportunity to join a collaborative, multidisciplinary research environment at one of the world's leading research-intensive universities.

About the role

We are seeking an enthusiastic and motivated Research Associate to join the Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics at King's College London. This post is funded by a National Psoriasis Foundation Discovery Grant and offers an exciting opportunity to investigate the shared genetic basis of infection susceptibility and immune-mediated disease.

The successful candidate will contribute to a pilot study using the TwinsUK cohort and large publicly available genome-wide association study (GWAS) datasets to determine whether the genetics of infection susceptibility can improve understanding of psoriasis-associated risk loci and prioritise candidate causal variants. The project sits at the interface of statistical genetics, genetic epidemiology, immunology and infectious disease.

The post holder will work closely with Dr David Morris and collaborators to curate and analyse infection phenotype data, integrate large-scale genetic datasets, perform statistical genetic analyses, and contribute to the development of a refined infection questionnaire for future TwinsUK studies. The successful candidate will also contribute to scientific publications, presentations and future grant applications arising from the project.

This is an excellent opportunity for a researcher with an interest in statistical genetics, genetic epidemiology and human disease to contribute to an innovative project with the potential to inform future research into the genetic basis of psoriasis and other immune-mediated diseases.

We are open to flexible working arrangements.

This is a part time post (3 Days per week 21 hours), and you will be offered a fixed term contract until 30th September 2027

Research staff at Kings are entitled to at least 10 days per year (pro-rata) for professional development. This entitlement, from the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers , applies to Postdocs, Research Assistants, Research and Teaching Technicians, Teaching Fellows and AEP equivalent up to and including grade 7. Visit the Centre for Research Staff Development for more information.

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 statistical genetics, genetic epidemiology, computational biology, bioinformatics, genetics or a related discipline.
2. Experience analysing large-scale genetic or genomic datasets.
3. Experience working with GWAS summary statistics or biobank-scale genetic datasets.
4. Proficiency in programming languages, such as R and/or Python for statistical analysis.
5. Excellent written and oral communication skills.
6. Ability to work independently and collaboratively.
7. Strong organisational skills.

Desirable criteria

Evidence of scientific publication.

Show a high degree of self-motivation and initiative and ability to work independently and collaborate within teams to meet project deadlines.

Detailed and flexible thinking, with the ability to develop novel analytic or experimental systems and research strategies

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.

* 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.