Research Fellow in Microbial Evolutionary Genomics

Research Fellow in Microbial Evolutionary Genomics

The Division of Biosciences at UCL is one of the world's foremost centres for research and teaching in the biological sciences. This is an exciting opportunity to join a new Wellcome-funded research programme led by Dr Gemma Murray in the Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment at UCL. The programme will investigate how commensal bacteria contribute to the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance in bacterial pathogens.

About the role: We are looking to appoint an enthusiastic Research Fellow with interests in evolution, genomics and antimicrobial resistance to lead computational evolutionary genomic analyses within a new Wellcome-funded research programme. Using Streptococcus suis as a model system, the Fellow will analyse a large existing collection of S. suis genomes sampled across several different countries and over several decades to investigate how antimicrobial resistance (AMR) genes are gained, lost and move between bacterial lineages, and how these dynamics vary with pathogenicity and patterns of antimicrobial use.

The postholder will develop and apply phylogenetic, population genomic, comparative genomic and statistical approaches, with substantial scope for methodological development where existing approaches are insufficient. They will help shape the analytical direction of the project, develop new questions arising from the data, and have opportunities to produce reproducible workflows or tools with wider applications. Beyond the core S. suis work, there will be opportunities to extend these approaches across other bacterial species and to contribute to ecological and epidemiological models of AMR emergence and persistence with collaborators at UCL. The position is entirely computational and analytical, with no laboratory or fieldwork required.

This post is being advertised alongside a complementary Research Fellow position focused on within-host diversity, short-term transmission and AMR gene movement in longitudinally sampled pig populations. Each Fellow will lead a distinct component of the research programme, while also having opportunities to work together to connect processes occurring within and between hosts to patterns observed across global bacterial populations.

The start date is flexible and can be agreed in discussion with the line manager. The post is funded by Wellcome for three years, with possibility of extension. The postholder will be based in the Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment at UCL, with regular on-site working required. Training and support will be available in areas outside the postholder's existing expertise. The postholder will be line managed by Dr Gemma Murray.

About you: The successful candidate will have a PhD, or PhD close to completion, in evolutionary genomics, evolutionary biology, bioinformatics or a closely related discipline, with a strong understanding of evolutionary genomics and the evolutionary processes that can be inferred from genomic data. They will have experience analysing genomic sequence data and applying phylogenetic, population genomic and/or comparative genomic approaches to address evolutionary or biological questions.

We are looking for a creative and rigorous computational researcher with strong programming and quantitative skills, experience of high-performance computing and reproducible bioinformatic workflows, and the ability to formulate hypotheses and develop or adapt analytical approaches. They should be able to critically evaluate genomic and phylogenetic analyses and work collaboratively across disciplines. Experience in bacterial genomics, AMR or horizontal gene transfer, or in developing ecological, epidemiological or evolutionary models, would be particularly valuable.

If you have any queries about the role, please contact Dr Gemma Murray at [email protected].

If you need reasonable adjustments or a more accessible format to apply for this job online or have any queries about the application process, please contact the HR Administrator.

What we offer: The UCL Ways of Working supports colleagues to be successful and happy at UCL through sharing expectations around how we work. As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits some of which are below:

• 41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday 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 that diversity and inclusion are fundamental drivers of creativity, innovation, and excellence, 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, thrive, and reach our full potential. 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; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.