Salary range: £36,737-£44,451 per annum depending on experience plus excellent benefits.
Fixed Term Contract for 3 Years.
Open Targets has recently launched Open Targets Genetics (https://genetics.opentargets.org), a portal that aggregates large scale GWAS data with functional genomics data to identify potential drug targets at disease-associated loci.
A Computational Biologist/Bioinformatician role funded by Open Targets, is available at the Wellcome Sanger Institute in a new team under the leadership of Dr. Maya Ghoussaini. This is an exciting opportunity for you to participate in the enhancement of the existing Open Targets Genetics Portal through the development of new functionality and features.
You will actively engage in the integration of new eQTL datasets and tissue-specific genomic datasets.
You will have the opportunity to work across a range of analysis such as:
- Integrate genetic and cell-specific genomic data to identify and validate casual links between targets and diseases and improve the Genetics Portal
- Perform association analysis on UK Biobank data with a particular focus on therapeutic areas important for Open Targets
- Work together with other members of the Open Targets team on statistical genetics analysis for large scale sequence analysis
In this role, you will develop and apply computational pipelines to elucidate causal mechanisms through integrative analyses of data from GWAS, eQTL/pQTL, chromatin interactions and conformation, biobanks, and other related sources to identify and prioritise drug targets
You will have the opportunity to interact with active computational and experimental research teams using cutting edge genomic techniques.
Essential Skills
- PhD in Computational Biology, bioinformatics or a closely related discipline.
- Experience in functional genomics data analysis and integration (RNAseq, ChIPseq, etc);
- Advanced level programming skills suitable for computational analyses and statistical genetic analyses, such as Python or R.
- Familiarity with statistical methods of complex disease genetics such as genome wide association studies, fine-mapping, high-throughput expression data, whole exome/genome sequencing, PheWAS, Mendelian Randomisation.
- Knowledge of network analysis.
- Previous experience in working with large-scale genetic datasets.
- Ability to work to tight timelines.
- Demonstrable good project management and organisational skills.
- Fluent in written and spoken English.
- Ability to communicate ideas and results effectively.
- Ability to work independently and organise own workload.
Ideal Skills
- Experience with generating reproducible bioinformatics pipelines;
- A strong track record in preparing publications and other written materials;
- Interest in target validation and translational research.
Other information
Open Targets is a pioneering public-private initiative between GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), Biogen, Takeda, Celgene, Sanofi, EMBL-EBI (European Bioinformatics Institute) and the WSI (Wellcome Sanger Institute), located on the Wellcome Genome Campus in Hinxton, near Cambridge, UK.
Open Targets aims to generate evidence on the biological validity of therapeutic targets and provide an initial assessment of the likely effectiveness of pharmacological intervention on these targets, using genome-scale experiments and analysis. Open Targets aims to provide an R&D framework that applies to all aspects of human disease, to improve the success rate for discovering new medicines and share its data openly in the interests of accelerating drug discovery.
Our Campus: Set over 125 acres, the stunning and dynamic Wellcome Genome Campus is the biggest aggregate concentration of people in the world working on the common theme of Genomes and BioData. It brings together a diverse and exceptional scientific community, committed to delivering life-changing science with the reach, scale and imagination to pursue some of humanity's greatest challenges.
Our Benefits: Our employees have access to a comprehensive range of benefits and facilities including:
- Defined Contribution Pension Scheme and Life Assurance
- Group Income Protection
- Private Health Insurance
- 25 days annual leave, increasing by one day a year to a maximum of 30
- Family friendly environment including options for flexible and part-time working, a childcare voucher scheme and - -
- Campus Nursery
- Two days paid Employee Volunteering Leave a year
- Employee Discount Scheme
- Campus Gym, tennis courts, cricket pitch and sports hall plus a range of dining facilities
- Active Campus Sports and Social Club
- Free Campus Bus Service
Genome Research Limited hold an Athena SWAN Bronze Award and will consider all individuals without discrimination and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees, where everyone can thrive.
Please include a covering letter and CV with your application. Closing date: 25th May 2019
