About the team/job
The Cortes-Ciriano group co-leads the CRUK-funded Stratified Medicine Paediatrics Programme (SMPEDS). SMPEDS is the UK national molecular profiling platform for children with relapsed cancer and it successfully provides infrastructure to triage patients into clinical trials by identifying molecular abnormalities in rapid turnaround, with clinical reporting through a national weekly National Molecular Tumour Board. The main objective of SMPEDS is to facilitate better outcomes for children with relapsed cancers by identifying novel and potentially actionable events, treatment resistance factors and implementing minimally invasive diagnosis and disease monitoring via the use of liquid biopsies.
In addition, SMPEDS ensures that research multi-omics is routinely performed on UK patients who relapse with cancer. Technologies used by SMPEDS investigators include spatial and single-cell tissue profiling, digital pathology and machine learning, and whole genome scale liquid biopsy and methylation.
The Cortés-Ciriano group serves as the data coordination centre for SMPEDS, which provides an exciting opportunity to conduct research at the forefront of paediatric cancer research and translation. More broadly, the group develops computational tools to realise the vision that one day early cancer detection will be a routine activity using minimally invasive techniques, and to characterise the patterns of mutations and genome instability processes in human cancers. The group uses diverse data analysis techniques and experimental methods, with a strong focus on the analysis of genome sequencing data from clinical samples.
Your Supervisor
Isidro Cortés-Ciriano joined EMBL-EBI as Research Group Leader in June 2019 after completing postdoctoral training at Harvard Medical School and the University of Cambridge. Isidro completed his PhD at the Pasteur Institute in 2015.
Your role
We invite applications for a CRUK-funded postdoc position in the fields of paediatric cancer genomics, long-read sequencing data analysis and data science.
We are looking for an intrinsically motivated, talented, and hypothesis-driven individual with experience in processing and analysing high-throughput sequencing data sets. This position is an excellent opportunity for individuals looking to gain in-depth knowledge and expertise in genomic medicine and translational research. You will be expected to lead the development of scalable and creative computational solutions to perform discovery research using sequencing data sets generated by the SMPEDS programme.
These data sets will include a unique collection of hundreds of long-read whole-genome sequencing data sets spanning multiple paediatric cancer types, as well as spatial genomics and liquid biopsy data sets. It is essential that you are dedicated to lead your own project while also being a team player and willing to engage with our national and international collaborators.
Your project will involve close interactions with SMPEDS investigators and other EU initiatives with which the program collaborates. You will enjoy substantial freedom (if desired) to design novel algorithms and to explore your own hypotheses.
You have
- PhD degree in the Life Sciences (preferably Computational Biology, Genomics, Statistics, or a similar field)
- Strong analytical and programming skills (preferably in python and R)
- Significant experience in computational genomics (ideally in cancer genomics) as evidenced by publication record
- Demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively with other group members and external collaborators
- Proficient communication skills in both written and spoken English
- Experience in Unix-based environments, high-performance computing and the development of reproducible data analysis pipelines using version control software
- Data science skills, such as visualisation of complex data sets
You might also have
- Background in Cancer Biology
- Experience in computing using software containers and workflow management software, such as Nextflow and Docker
- Experience in large-scale data transfers using state-of-the-art tools, such as Aspera or Globus
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 required)
- 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 and financial support to relocate if you are based overseas. .
For more details please see our employee benefits page.
What else you need to know
- Contract duration: This position is funded by Cancer Research UK which is a 2 year grant based 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+ & individuals from all nationalities.
- Job location: 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.
- EMBL is a signatory of DORA. Find out how we apply DORA principles to our recruitment and performance assessment processes here
- How to apply: To apply please submit a cover letter and a CV through our online system.