Research Associate

About the role

The University of Leicester Ulverscroft Eye Unit (UEU) is excited to announce an opening for a Postdoctoral Research Associate (PDRA) position for three years to explore the potential of retinal image derived phenotypes in disease prediction and modelling. This research will encompass genome-wide and phenome-wide association studies, alongside the application of deep learning to imaging datasets. Depending on the candidate's interests, there is also the opportunity to engage in wet-lab experiments, including CRISPR-Cas9 mutagenesis and retinal disease modelling. The PDRA will be responsible for co-developing and carrying out an independent original research programme in line with the strategic priorities of the group, as well as managing large-scale genotype and phenotype datasets, supervising clinical studies, and supporting research staff and PhD/iMSc/project students.

The UEU is a clinical research unit and centre for excellence in ophthalmic research. UEU has state-of-the art research facilities at the University Hospitals of Leicester (UHL) and Robert Kilpatrick Clinical Sciences Building (RKCSB) as well as excellent lab facilities at RKCSB and within a £16M, purpose-built animal research building (pre-clinical research facility (PRF)). UEU comprises of 6 full-time members of staff with diverse expertise ranging from clinical ophthalmology, genetics, imaging, engineering, electrophysiology, programming, eye tracking and visual behaviour. The team benefits from world-leading data science infrastructure as well as our outstanding £2M (3500 core) High Performance Computing facility which has a dedicated research computing support service and secure IT systems. The core team benefits from the broader support of teams at UHL, and the £26M NIHR BRC facilities, which include a dedicated NIHR children’s research space accessible for our studies. UEU has an excellent track record in this field of research and in the career development of early-career researchers (ECR). UEU has previously hosted and continues to host ECRs from diverse clinical and non-clinical backgrounds who have successfully progressed to secure competitive external fellowships from the Wellcome Trust, MRC, and NIHR. This track record provides excellent developmental prospects for the candidate who will join the group through this post.

About you

We are seeking a candidate with a strong background in bioinformatics, computational biology, or a closely related field. The ideal candidate will be creative and ambitious, with excellent communication skills and a keen interest in tackling challenging projects. Experience with genetic data analysis and statistical genetics methodologies, such as GWAS (Genome-Wide Association Studies) and PheWAS (Phenome-Wide Association Studies), is essential. Proficiency in statistical programming languages (e.g., R, Python) and a good understanding of genetic and molecular biology concepts are also required. Knowledge in CRISPR-Cas9 technology, as well as familiarity with artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques applied to biological datasets, would be particularly beneficial.

The position is housed within a dynamic research environment that offers access to state-of-the-art computational and experimental resources. Candidates will have the opportunity to work on multidisciplinary projects, aiming to bridge the gap between computational analysis and experimental biology, and contribute significantly to the field of disease prediction and modelling through retinal image analysis.