Research Fellow at University of Southampton

Location: Southampton General Hospital

Fixed Term: Until 01/11/2026

Applications are invited for a Research Fellow position based at Southampton General Hospital. This exciting opportunity is initially offered as a 3-year fixed-term. The successful applicant will join a team of researchers focused on using multi-omic data for patient benefit, using and developing contemporary bioinformatic tools and methods.

The post 

This post will be in the Human Genetic and Genomic Medicine (HGGM) group. We have a focus on application of genomic data to solve clinical problems in rare and complex disease. There is unprecedented potential to learn from healthcare related multi-omic data, such that we can diagnose patients faster, accurately define the specific molecular mechanism underlying disease, and predict outcomes or response to therapy. 

This post will primarily focus on using genomic data, including short-read and long-read, to unpick the molecular complexity of autoimmune disease, identify and utilise genomic biomarkers to predict outcomes and work closely with clinical colleagues to move genomic medicine for complex disease into the national health service. The successful candidate will have access to whole exome sequencing data from 1000s of patients.  

The place

There is a concerted strategy to harness genomic technology to improve the health of the UK population through the Genomic Medicine Services. The University of Southampton boasts a nationally leading high performance computing cluster- IRIDIS; University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust is recognised as a global digital exemplar. The University is nationally leading in artificial intelligence techniques applied to genomic data. 

The skills required

The successful candidate will have independent bioinformatic skills and be motivated to understand molecular mechanisms of genetic disease at the patient level.  Experience of processing and analysis of long-read data (Oxford Nanopore, PacBio) is highly desirable. 

The candidate

The project applies informatic skills to large-scale biomedical data and so candidates should a PhD in a directly applicable area, such as computer or biomedical sciences, or bioinformatics. 

The team

You will join a team of world-leading clinical academic and scientists that is led by Prof. Sarah Ennis (Professor of Genomics). 

This post is available from 2nd November 2023, and initially is 36-months. Informal enquiries may be made to Professor Sarah Ennis (se@soton.ac.uk) or Dr James Ashton (j.ashton@soton.ac.uk).

A standard DBS check may be required for this role.

Applications will be considered from candidates who are working towards or nearing completion of a relevant PhD qualification. The title of Research Fellow will be applied upon completion of PhD.  Prior to the qualification being awarded the title of Senior Research Assistant will be given.

The Faculty of Medicine holds an Athena SWAN Silver Award demonstrating commitment to equal opportunities and gender balance in the workplace. For further information including key benefits designed to help maintain and support employees’ well-being and work-life balance, please see our working with us website pages.

We believe equality, diversity and inclusion are fundamental to making the University of Southampton a welcoming, vibrant and successful organisation. Having a diverse workforce, inclusive of people of all ages and beliefs, from different racial backgrounds, educational and social backgrounds opens up a wealth of possibilities, makes us more creative and accelerates our impact on society.

Please note that applications from agencies will not be accepted unless indicated on the job.