Research Assistant / Research Associate in Statistical Genetics at Newcastle University

We are a world class research-intensive university. We deliver teaching and learning of the highest quality. We play a leading role in economic, social and cultural development of the North East of England. Attracting and retaining high-calibre people is fundamental to our continued success.

Research Assistant: £31,396 to £32,982 per annum.
Research Associate: £33,966 to £36,024 per annum.

The Role
This is an exciting opportunity for a methodologically-focussed researcher with strong computational/statistical skills to contribute to cutting-edge methods development in a clinically relevant research area with strong translational potential.

Your role will be to develop and apply advanced statistical analysis methods to multi-omics data (SNP genotypes, gene-expression, CpG methylation and serum proteomics) derived from patients with liver disease and healthy controls, to identify causal pathways in disease development/progression.

The project forms part of a Wellcome Investigator Award in Science awarded to Professor Heather Cordell. The overall goal of this research is to develop and apply advanced statistical methods to help elucidate the biological mechanisms and causal pathways underpinning the correlations seen between genotype and phenotype in complex genetic disorders, with specific emphasis on liver and kidney disease. This will allow us to better understand the biological processes leading to disease development, thus enabling the development of potential therapies and cures.

Identifying genes and their protein products which alter disease risk will point to potential new drug targets and allow opportunities for re-purposing of existing drugs. We will use measurements of genetic factors and potential intermediate processes such as gene expression, DNA methylation and protein levels, available through long-standing collaborations with clinical colleagues. A key goal of our research is to develop methods that integrate these different data types with one another, and with similar data from external sources.

This post is full-time, fixed-term until 31st March 2026.

You’ll be based in Newcastle Upon Tyne at the Centre for Life campus that has fantastic transport links, and we offer a hybrid and flexible working model.

To apply for the position, we will need your CV and a covering letter outlining how you are suitable for the role, using examples to highlight how you meet the desirable and essential criteria.

For informal enquiries contact: Professor Heather Cordell (heather.cordell@newcastle.ac.uk).

Find out more about the Faculty of Medical Sciences here: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/.

Find out more about our Research Institutes here: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/research/institutes/.