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Research Associate in Molecular Epidemiology JD.Pdf Job Description Job Title: Research Associate in Molecular Epidemiology Department/School/Faculty: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine Campus location: St Mary’s Campus Job Family/Level: Research Salary Range: £40,215 - £47,579 per annum Candidates who have not yet been officially awarded their PhD will be appointed as a Research Assistant within the salary range £35,477 - £38,566 per annum. Responsible to: Dr Ioanna Tzoulaki Key Working Relationships (internal): Research and administrative staff from the Department of EBS Key Working Relationships (external): British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence Contract type: Full time and fixed term for two years in the first instance Research Programme We are seeking a Molecular Epidemiologist to work on a project on multiomics within the molecular epidemiology project of the British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence (BHF). Funding for this post is from the BHF Centre of Research Excellence which encourages scientists from outside traditional biomedical research to engage in cardiovascular research and builds bridges between Imperial College’s scientific expertise in life sciences, medicine, engineering, chemistry and computational biology with the ultimate objective of furthering our understanding of cardiovascular disease and discovering new ways to treat it. The renewed BHF Centre is focused around 3 main themes, namely Cardiovascular Engineering, Functional Genetics and Genomics, and Population Sciences, with 2 crosscutting themes, Imaging, and Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning. In brief, we will study genetic, metabolomics and proteomic determinants of cardiovascular diseases in order to identify novel biomarkers and biochemical pathways underlying cardiovascular disease and traits. We are also interested in cardiovascular risk prediction model development and validation using genetic and other ‘omic’ information. The post-holder will be accountable directly to Dr Ioanna Tzoulaki. The post-holder will also work closely with Professor Paul Elliott and Dr Abbas Dehghan and a team of postdoctoral researchers and PhD students working on population cohort data and multi-omics. The department also houses the MRC Centre for Environment and Health (led by Professor Elliott). Purpose of the Post We are seeking a talented molecular epidemiologist who is familiar with the analysis and interpretation of omics data to join our molecular epidemiology team. The appointed person will work within the department of epidemiology and biostatistics applying their expertise to molecular epidemiology and metabolomics to further develop our understanding of the molecular signals and pathways underlying the development of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases and their underlying risk factors. Job Description The post will include analysis of complex biomedical data and omics including genetic data (GWAS, polygenic risk scores) and metabolomics as well as other omics data (e.g. proteomics). The post is located in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, which houses world-leading epidemiological resources including intense phenotyping of cardiometabolic traits and rich omics datasets including genomic, epigenomic, proteomic and metabolomic data. The post-holder will benefit from the diverse types of biomedical data, patient data, multi-omics data and other resources available within Imperial College London and its collaborative partners through BHF. Coupled with state-of-the-art dedicated high- performance computers and a multi-petabyte storage system, this provides the capacity to develop powerful new approaches to the integration and analysis of large-scale, complex, multi-sources medical data and multi- variate data model construction and visualisation. We are looking to appoint individuals with a background in molecular epidemiology, biostatistics or other related quantitative disciplines, with analytical and interpretative skills in omics data. The post-holder will collaborate closely with population and experimental scientists, including biochemists and chemometricians. Candidates will be interested in gaining/sharing knowledge and experience within and outside their domains. The post-holder will be responsible for working with participating studies, harmonization of the clinical data across studies, bringing the clinical and omics data together, running omics analysis and interpreting the findings, and coordination with the biochemistry lab. You will work closely with other researchers both within BHF and with scientific and clinical partners. You will be part of project teams to creatively share knowledge and experience including in the areas of biostatistics, omics technologies, informatics, clinical and chemical science domains. The job environment will offer a career structure within the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics for a molecular epidemiologist or biostatistician with a deep interest in application of advanced omics approaches to solve diverse biomedical problems. Key Responsibilities Research Duties • To work collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary research team • To learn and apply suitable techniques for the analysis of complex biomedical data including omics • To conduct and interpret data analysis, and prepare suitable summary outputs of the analysis • To maintain accurate and complete records of all findings • To ensure that the data are valid, reliable, and up-to-date at all times • To present findings to colleagues and at conferences • To prepare statistical summaries of the data suitable for publications in suitable peer-reviewed scientific journals • To write reports for submission to research sponsors • To draft and submit publications of the findings to suitable refereed journals • To provide guidance to staff and students on the analysis and interpretation of complex biomedical data • To attend relevant workshops and conferences as necessary • To develop contacts and research collaborations within the College and the wider community • To promote the reputation of the Group, the Department and the College • To contribute to proposals prepared in the group for research grants • To conduct and plan own scientific work with appropriate supervision • To maintain highly organised and accurate record of experimental and analytical Work • To actively participate in the research programme of the Group and Unit • To participate in Group/Unit research meetings and internal seminars. • To collaborate with other allied scientists within Imperial College and elsewhere in London and abroad, as appropriate. Job Description • To contribute to the smooth running of the Group’s/Unit’s laboratories and, facilities with other scientists, clinicians, technicians and students within the laboratories. • To assist in the supervision of undergraduate and postgraduate research students and research assistants as required. • To comply with the College, Division, and Unit safety practices and to attend courses on safety when appropriate. • Any other duties as may be deemed reasonable by Head of group as well as Head of Division/Department/Section. Other Duties • To undertake appropriate administration tasks • To undertake any necessary training and/or development • Any other duties commensurate with the grade of the post as directed by the supervisors Person Specification Requirements Essential (E)/ Candidates/post holders will be expected to demonstrate the following: Desirable (D) • Education • At Research Assistant Level: a MSc or equivalent in one of the following E areas: epidemiology, statistical genomics, biostatistics or related disciplines • At Research Associate Level: a PhD or equivalent in epidemiology, statistical E genomics, biostatistics or related disciplines Knowledge & Experience • Knowledge and experience in molecular epidemiology or another closely related E discipline • Strong skills with commonly used statistical tools and approaches E • Proven interest in scientific/medical problems E • Dealing with specific groups of people, e.g. sponsors, patients E • A record of high-quality publications in internationally recognised peer-reviewed D journals • Demonstrated ability to interact with other academics E • Experience of the supervision of research of postgraduate students D • Evidence of having contributed to writing proposals D • Experience with cognitive neuroscience, or sleep physiology would be D advantageous Skills & Abilities • Excellent verbal communication skills and the ability to deal with a wide range of E people • Excellent written communication skills and the ability to write clearly and succinctly E for publication • Ability to direct the work of a small research team and motivate others to produce E a high standard of work • Ability to conduct a detailed review of recent literature E • Ability to organise own work with minimal supervision E • Ability to prioritise own work in response to deadlines E • Ability to conduct a detailed review of recent literature E • Ability to develop and apply new concepts E • Creative approach to problem solving E Personal Attributes • Willingness to work as part of a team and to be open-minded and cooperative E Job Description • Flexible attitude towards work E • Discipline and regard for confidentiality and security at all times E • Willingness to undertake any necessary training for the role E • Willingness to travel both within the United Kingdom and abroad to conduct E research and
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