Computational Biologist / ScientificData Analyst ­- Neuroscience drug discovery

Talisman Therapeutics Ltd is a neuroscience drug discovery company based in Cambridge, UK. Building upon the world class knowledge and skills of its team, Talisman develops and employs proprietary human stem cell models of neurodegenerative and neurological disease to advance the development of novel therapeutics via both internal and external collaborative projects. This is an exciting time to join the company as we develop and expand our research portfolio.

We are currently recruiting aComputational Biologist / Scientific Data Analystas a senior member of our expanding team. This is an opportunity for a dynamic, intellectually curious data scientist to lead the analysis of complex data sets generated using our disease models, supporting the delivery of drug discovery projects.

The ideal candidate:

• has a PhD in statistics, biomedical, chemical or physical sciences, with demonstrated experience in scientific data analysis.
• combines experience in experimental design and statistical analysis with expertise in data quality control and data visualisation.
• has programming skills for data analysis and visualization in a language such as R (ideally) or Python.
• is familiar with molecular and cell biology assays and/or high content imaging outputs of phenotypic screens.
• prior experience of neurodegenerative disease, or computational biology analysis of -omics datasets.
• must be able to effectively communicate scientific concepts to a variety of audiences.
• works well with others and wishes to make a difference as part of collaborative team.

In addition to leading the data analysis for research projects, day-to-day tasks include: contributing to troubleshooting and decision-making as a member of project teams; developing bespoke algorithms/analytical methods for a variety of projects; and advising and mentoring other team members. 

Projects are wide-ranging, including novel target identification and validation, whole genome and small molecule disease modification screens, as well as exploring mechanistic biology of novel therapeutics.

Key areas of responsibility:

• Leadership of data analysis;
• Design and execution of analysis workflows, including statistical analysis of results and data visualization, to support drug discovery from target identification through to candidate profiling;
• Contribution to design and management of research projects (internal and external);
• Effective communication of data analysis process, observations and findings (verbal and written).

Essential skills and qualifications:

Essential qualifications are a minimum of a 2.1 class honours science degree anda PhD in statistics, maths, or biomedical or physical sciences. Essential skills include demonstrated advanced data analysis capability, computational biology, bioinformatics or statistical genetics or machine learning expertise. Experience in or exposure to molecular/cell biology, neuroscience, neurodegeneration or inflammation research would be preferred. We require substantial postdoctoral research experience in academic and/or commercial settings.

Employee benefits:

This full-time, in-person role will be based at the Talisman research labs on the Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge. We offer excellent compensation and benefits that reflect the strong company commitment to employee wellbeing. Our benefits include a 4.5-day week for all staff to enable work-life-balance, an Employee Share Option Scheme, non-contributory private medical insurance, a non-contributory Life Assurance scheme, and access to a cycle-purchase scheme. Salary will be in the region of £45,000-£55,000 depending on experience.

Should you wish to be considered for this position, please send a CV, including the names of three referees, and covering letter to by Tuesday 12th November 2024 at 12:00 noon. Shortlisted candidates will be notified by 22nd November 2024.