Postdoctoral Fellow – EAZPOD 2023 at European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)

About the team/job

EMBL-EBI and AstraZeneca are located nearby in Cambridge which will allow fellows to spend time at both sites and take advantage of the complementary expertise and opportunities this offers. Fellows will have easy access to scientific expertise, well-equipped computational facilities and an active seminar programme.

Your role

The EMBL-EBI–AstraZeneca Postdoctoral (EAZPOD) Programme builds on the collaborative relationship between EMBL-EBI and AstraZeneca, offering projects that push the boundaries of cutting-edge computational biology in oncology.

For 2023, the following project area is available:

Harnessing Multi-Omics and Machine Learning for Prediction of Cancer Patient Outcomes

The two goals of this project are:

• To create a hybrid deep learning, multi-omic network analysis framework that can integrate pre-clinical and clinical data (from cell lines, in/ex vivo models, to patients), as well as various data modalities (proteomic, transcriptomic, genomic, drug response, etc), to learn the molecular basis or principles underpinning cancer phenotypes and outcomes.
• To apply it on AZ internal oncology data as well as on ‘real-world’ clinical data to improve a) cancer patient stratification, b) design of precision therapies and c) prediction of patient phenotypes and outcomes.

You will develop new data science methods that leverage the large amounts of public and AZ-internal proteo-genomics data and use state-of-the-art AI/ML technologies, such as transfer learning, combining them with causal multimodal network inference. Emphasis will be placed on the mechanistic interpretation of findings and the identification of patterns and rules that generalise well in other contexts and large datasets, where e.g. proteomics may not be available.

Examples of public data related to this project include multi-omics, gene essentiality and drug response data for >900 cancer cell lines (Cell Model Passports and CCLE), proteo-genomics data for more than 2,400 patients from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and the Clinical Proteomics Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC). Examples of internal data include transcriptomics and clinical measurements/drug response data for tens of thousands of patients, as well as >200 PDX models with proteomics data also available.

The Petsalaki group has long-term expertise and existing tools in causal multimodal network inference and the study of context-specific cell signalling. The EMBL-EBI provides access to unparalleled computing power and computational biology expertise, including in AI. AZ provides excellent resources, data and expertise in data science, computational biology and clinical expertise. In this academia-industry partnership, you will experience both cultures and will benefit from the experience and expertise of two excellent environments to work on a project that can have immediate impact on improving the lives and outcomes of cancer patients worldwide.

The postdoctoral fellowships will be awarded in 2023 and the position must be undertaken within 12 months of the fellowship being awarded. 

You have

Applicants must hold a doctoral degree (PhD, MD, or DPhil), and should ideally have less than 8 years of research experience since the doctoral degree (excluding absences taken for parental leave or health reasons). 

Why join us

Do something meaningful

At EMBL-EBI you can apply your talent and passion to accelerate science and tackle some of humankind’s greatest challenges. EMBL-EBI, part of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory, is a worldwide leader in the storage, analysis and dissemination of large biological datasets. We provide the global research community with access to publicly available databases and tools which are crucial for the advancement of healthcare, food security, and biodiversity.

Join a culture of innovation

We are located on the Wellcome Genome Campus, alongside other prominent research and biotech organisations, and surrounded by beautiful Cambridgeshire countryside. This is a highly collaborative and inclusive community where our employees enjoy a relaxed atmosphere. We are committed to ensuring our employees feel valued, supported and empowered to reach their professional potential. 

Enjoy lots of benefits:

• Financial incentives: Monthly family and child allowances, generous stipend reviewed yearly, pension scheme, death benefit, long-term care, accident-at-work and unemployment insurances
• Flexible working arrangements
• Private medical insurance for you and your immediate family (including all prescriptions and generous dental & optical cover)
• Generous time off: 30 days annual leave per year, in addition to eight bank holidays
• Relocation package including installation grant (if applicable)
• Campus life: Free shuttle bus to and from work, on-site library, subsidised on-site gym and cafeteria, casual dress code, extensive sports and social club activities (on campus and remotely)
• Family benefits: On-site nursery, 10 days of child sick leave, generous parental leave, holiday clubs on campus and monthly family and child allowances
• Benefits for non-UK residents: Visa exemption.

For more details please see our employee benefits page. 

What else you need to know

• Contract duration: This position is a 3 year contract.
• International applicants: We recruit internationally and successful candidates are offered visa exemptions. Read more on our page for international applicants. 
• Diversity and inclusion: At EMBL-EBI, we strongly believe that inclusive and diverse teams benefit from higher levels of innovation and creative thought. We encourage applications from women, LGBTQ+ and individuals from all nationalities. 
• Job location: This role is based in Hinxton, near Cambridge, UK. You will be required to relocate if you are based overseas and you will receive a generous relocation package to support you.
• DORA – EMBL is a signatory of DORA and is committed to hiring and training outstanding research, service, and administrative personnel.
• How to apply: To apply please submit a cover letter detailing your suitability for the role and interest in this project and a CV through our online system. Please also include two recent letters of recommendation. We aim to provide a response within two weeks after the closing date: 29th October 2023
• Interviews: We plan to hold interviews in December 2023. 

For questions about the programme please contact us via email at eazpod@ebi.ac.uk.