Research Fellow – Computational and Experimental Neoantigen Immunology (MATCHMAKERS)

Research Fellow – Computational And Experimental Neoantigen Immunology (MATCHMAKERS)

The post holder will undertake a genuinely hybrid computational and experimental research role within MATCHMAKERS, linking patient-specific tumour genomic analysis and neoantigen prediction directly to wet-lab testing of antigen-specific T-cell responses. The post holder will be responsible for generating high-quality neoantigen candidate sets, experimentally evaluating their immunogenicity, and integrating computational and experimental data to identify features associated with tumour-reactive T-cell recognition. The post holder will contribute to delivery of MATCHMAKERS research milestones and to the development and evaluation of improved datasets and models of neoantigen immunogenicity. They will work closely with researchers within the Quezada group and with multidisciplinary MATCHMAKERS collaborators, and will communicate findings through project reports, presentations and peer-reviewed publications.

The position will be available for 2 years initially, with the possibility of extension depending on funding availability. Appointment at Grade 7 is dependent upon having been awarded a PhD; if this is not the case, initial appointment will be at Research Assistant Grade 6B, with payment at Grade 7 being backdated to the date of final submission of the PhD thesis. Applications should include a CV and a Cover Letter: In the Cover Letter please provide evidence of the essential and desirable criteria in the Person Specification part of the Job Description. (By including a Cover Letter, you can leave blank the 'Why you have applied for this role' field in the application form, which is limited in the number of characters it will allow.)

You will have a PhD (or be near completion) in immunology, cancer biology, bioinformatics, computational biology, or a related discipline, together with experience analysing tumour sequencing data and investigating antigen-specific T-cell responses. You will have a strong understanding of tumour immunology and T-cell biology, experience with primary human immune cell culture and functional immunology assays, and strong computational skills using Python and/or R. You will be a collaborative researcher with excellent communication skills and a commitment to delivering high-quality, reproducible research in a multidisciplinary environment. This role would suit a researcher who enjoys combining computational analysis with laboratory experimentation and is excited by the opportunity to translate biological discoveries into improved approaches for predicting tumour-reactive T-cell responses.

As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents we also offer some great benefits some of which are below:

• 41 Days holiday (including 27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days)
• Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)
• Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan
• 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; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.