Research Associate

Research Associate

Job id: 086612

Salary: £43,205 – £50,585 per annum, inclusive of London Weighting Allowance

Business unit: Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine

Department: Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine

Location: Guy's and St Thomas Campuses

Category: Research

This is an exciting opportunity to join an internationally leading interdisciplinary team of King’s College London, Oxford University and Surrey University scientists working on the ‘Mind & Skin’ research programme.

Funded by the UK Medical Research Foundation, we are generating complex sleep monitoring, brain imaging and skin phenotyping data to understand the mechanisms underpinning adolescent skin disorders. We will employ machine learning, artificial intelligence and data integration approaches to study potential links between atopic dermatitis (AD), pruritus, sleep disturbance and altered brain function, including cognitive changes.

The bioinformatician will work under the supervision of Dr. Alessandra Vigilante, Senior Lecturer in Bioinformatics, and Professor Carsten Flohr, Chair in Dermatology and Population Health Science and Mind & Skin Chief Investigator and be embedded in the new KCL Hub for Applied Bioinformatics (HAB). S/he will provide support in the data integration analyses as well as statistical analysis of data. The main purpose of the role encompasses performing data integration and statistical analysis while offering comprehensive data-driven decision support by overseeing the cleaning, integration, and analysis of diverse datasets, including skin microbiome, skin immune profiles, sleep measurements, and MRI imaging. This crucially involves collaborating closely with the interdisciplinary team to ensure the harmonization and cleanliness of multiple datasets, with the ultimate goal of uncovering connections between adolescent skin disorders, sleep disruptions, and altered brain function in the 'Mind & Skin' research programme.

We look for an ambitious candidate with established expertise in bioinformatics, specifically dealing with large data sets and data integration. Knowledge of python and R are essential.

Further information about the Mind & Skin project is found here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6MRTNxDoqo

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/all.15818

For more information about the post, please contact Alessandra Vigilante ( alessandra.vigilante@kcl.ac.uk) and Carsten Flohr ( carsten.flohr@kcl.ac.uk)

About the Faculty:

King’s College London Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine is one of the largest and most successful centres for research and education in the University. It consists of over 2000 staff and 5000 students within seven Schools and two Schools of Education.

The FoLSM Applied Bioinformatics Hub, home of a new and interdisciplinary network, is located on the Guy’s Campus in central London. It acts as a nucleus for a vibrant research community spanning the entire Faculty, bringing together researchers involved in different research areas such as computational genomics, genetics, cancer genomics, dermatology, immunology, reproductive biology and child health, cardiovascular research, neurobiology, evolutionary biology, pharmacology and others.

Hub for Applied Bioinformatics (HAB) https://www.kcl.ac.uk/research/the-hub-for-applied-bioinformatics-hab

This is an interdisciplinary cross-cutting network that brings together academics, clinicians and staff with different expertise and requirements, to support and undertake ground-breaking research involving big data, and deliver high-level education programs. It acts as a nucleus for a vibrant research community, spanning the entire Faculty of Life Science and Medicine.

This post will be offered on a fixed-term contract for 24 Months.

This is a full-time post - 100% full time equivalent.

Contact details: Alessandra Vigilante / Carsten Flohr. alessandra.vigilante@kcl.ac.uk / carsten.flohr@kcl.ac.uk

Closing date: 17 April 2024.