Job title / Postdoctoral Research Scientist in Immunogenomics
Division / Medical Sciences
Department / Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics
Location / Roosevelt Drive, Headington, Oxford, OX3 7BN
Grade and salary / Grade 7: Salary in range £31,604 to £35,550 p.a.
Hours / Full time
Contract type / Fixed-term until 30th September 2022.
Reporting to / Group Head
Vacancy reference / 131786
Additional information / Funded by the Wellcome
Research topic / Functional Genomics of Immunity
Principal Investigator / supervisor / Professor Julian Knight
Project web site / http://www.well.ox.ac.uk/julian-knight-group
Recent publications / Fairfax BP, Humburg P, Makino S, Naranbhai V, Wong D, Lau E, Jostins L, Plant K, Andrews R, McGee C and Knight JC. 2014 Innate Immune Activity Conditions Effects of Regulatory Variants upon Monocyte Gene Expression. Science 343: 1246949
Naranbhai V, Fairfax BP, Makino S, Humburg P, Wong D, Ng N, Hill AVS, Knight JC. 2015 Genomic modulators of gene expression in human neutrophils. Nature Communications 6, 7545
Davenport EE, Burnham KL, Radhakrishnan J, Humburg P, Hutton P, Mills TC, Rautanen A, Gordon AC, Garrard C, Hill AVS, Hinds CJ, Knight JC. 2016 Genomic landscape of the individual host response and outcomes in sepsis: a prospective cohort study. The Lancet Respiratory Medicine 4, 259-271
Burnham KL, Davenport EE, Radhakrishnan J, Humburg P, Gordon AC, Hutton P, Svoren-Jabalera E, Garrard C, Hill AV, Hinds CJ, Knight JC. 2017 Shared and Distinct Aspects of the Sepsis Transcriptomic Response to Fecal Peritonitis and Pneumonia. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine 196, 328-339
Fang H, Knezevic B, Burnham KL, Knight JC. 2016 XGR software for enhanced interpretation of genomic summary data, illustrated by application to immunological traits. Genome Medicine 8, 129
The role
Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Scientist in Immunogenomics at the University of Oxford. You will be based at the Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics within the group of Professor Julian Knight, joining an established team with a track record of innovation and high impact research in functional genomics and susceptibility to immune traits.
You will join a substantial new programme of research funded by a 5-year Investigator Award from the Wellcome Trust. The programme seeks to understand the heritable basis of extreme innate immune response phenotypes and how this may contribute to disease, building on our recent work in this area (Science 2014, Lancet Respiratory Medicine 2016). We aim to define and characterise the functional alleles driving such differences between individuals, their mechanism of action, and their biological consequences in terms of gene regulation, cellular function and disease. We aim to use this information to define potential nodal points for therapeutic intervention involving genes, networks and pathways with application to auto-inflammatory diseases and sepsis; and establish a genomic-led approach to drug target prioritisation.
You will play a key role in this research by applying your skills and passion for immunology and molecular biology to define and functionally characterise specific genes and alleles, and perform the required immune phenotyping and cellular assays. Your work will define the landscape of gene regulation in extreme innate immune response within which disease associated variants may act. You will also use genome editing techniques such as CRISPR/Cas9 and complementary approaches to resolve and functionally annotate genetic variants. You will also take advantage of cutting-edge approaches including in-house platforms for transcriptomic and epigenomic profiling using single cell analysis; secreted cytokine assays (Luminex); flow and/or mass cytometry including intracellular cytokine quantification; and cellular function (for example monocyte migration, phagocytosis) using high-throughput imaging.
You will hold a relevant PhD with relevant research experience in immunology and molecular biology. Experience of functional genomics is desirable. You will have sufficient specialist knowledge to be able to work independently, to identify major challenges and obstacles to the realisation of scientific objectives, and to set out strategies to overcome them. You will be motivated by a stimulating and ambitious research environment with a desire to deliver high quality cutting-edge science.
You will be part of a dynamic research team lead by Professor Julian Knight who has extensive experience in the functional genomics of immunity. The team includes postdoctoral scientists with significant expertise in both wet lab and statistical functional genomics. You will also be strongly supported by working closely with colleagues in Oxford Genomics Centre (http://www.well.ox.ac.uk/ogc/about-ogc ) in the WHG, facilitating sharing of expertise and method development together with access to necessary platforms and core support. You will also benefit from substantial in-house expertise in genome editing (http://www.well.ox.ac.uk/ben-davies). This will allow you to develop your skills in a highly supportive environment.
Responsibilities
· Undertake laboratory work to investigate the functional genomic and epigenomic landscape of the extreme innate immune response and the impact of genetic variation.
· Perform cell and tissue culture including isolation of primary human cells and immune phenotyping.
· Carry out relevant functional and immunological assays including flow and/or mass cytometry, cellular functional assays and high-throughput imaging.
· Plan and monitor project deadlines. Multi-task and prioritise your own workload. Work with other members of the laboratory on related projects.
· Keep detailed, accurate and comprehensible records of your work, prepare manuscripts for publication in high profile international journals and present results at scientific meetings in the UK and overseas.
· Participate in laboratory meetings and discussion of the aims and objectives of the group’s work, contribute and develop ideas for new research projects, contribute to grant applications and aid in writing of reports for funders.
· Keep up to date with developments in the relevant fields.
· Provide motivation and supportive leadership in a team working environment, contributing to the supervision, education and training of staff and students as necessary and appropriate.
· Participate and support public engagement activities on behalf of the Centre, working with the Centre’s Public Engagement and Communications Officer. This is anticipated to be around 2 days per year.
· Work closely with the group head and keep him up-to-date with progress and difficulties in the research project, and undertake such other duties as may be required from time to time that are commensurate with the grade and responsibilities of this post.
Hazard-specific
This job includes the following hazard-specific which will require successful pre-employment health screening through our Occupational Health Service before the successful candidate will be allowed to start work:
· Handling human blood, blood products, tissues, hazard group 2/3 pathogens
Selection criteria
Essential
· A PhD, or in exceptional cases expected to obtain soon, in genetics, biochemistry, molecular biology or related field
· A demonstrable interest in the research described here
· Experience in immunological laboratory techniques
· Excellence in molecular biology
· A strong publication record including substantive peer-reviewed journals
· Demonstrable high level of communication skills both written and oral
· Ability to organise and prioritise work efficiently delivering results to required standard and to an agreed schedule
· Evidence of problem-solving, working with accuracy, self-motivation and integrity
· Ability to work within a team effectively
· Experience of supervision involving students and or junior team members
Desirable
· Experience of working with primary human cells
· Experience of functional genomics protocols
· Experience of high throughput sequencing and its application to functional genomics
· Knowledge of the principles and application of bioinformatics, statistical genetics and/or high throughput sequencing data analysis
Informal inquiries about this post can be addressed to: Prof Julian Knight ()
About the University of Oxford
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Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics (WHG)
In the first decades of the 21stcentury, researchers are beginning to understand in detail how our genetic inheritance makes us who we are. At the Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, our aim is to extend that understanding in order to gain a clearer insight into mechanisms of health and disease. Looking across all three billion letters of the human genetic code, we aim to pinpoint variant spellings and discover how they increase or decrease an individual’s risk of falling ill.
The WHG is a research institute of theNuffield Department of Medicineat theUniversity of Oxford, funded by the University, theWellcome and numerous other sponsors. It is based in purpose-built laboratories on the University of Oxford’s Biomedical Research Campus in Headington, one of the largest concentrations of biomedical expertise in the world.
With more than 400 active researchers and around 70 employed in administrative and support roles, the WHG is an international leader in genetics, genomics and structural biology. We collaborate with research teams across the world on a number of large-scale studies in these areas. Our researchers expend close to £20m annually in competitively-won grants, and publish around 300 primary papers per year.
For more information please visit: http://www.well.ox.ac.uk/home
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