Research Associate

Job description

Research post in computational toxicology

We are looking to appoint an enthusiastic research assistant/post-doctoral research associate in computational toxicology to contribute to an ambitious challenge-led project co-funded by NC3Rs, AstraZeneca, Bayer AG and Unilever aimed at developing methods to replace testing of fish in the assessment of safety of chemicals to the environment. As part of regulatory approval, chemicals need to be assessed for their safety to the environment before they can be marketed, and this includes toxicity testing on fish. Our project aims to replace these tests with computational and cell culture-based methods. This post will be offered on a fixed-term contract for 6 months with possibility for reappointment for an additional 3 years.

During this initial 6 months you will contribute to mining, extracting, and analysing large-scale biological datasets to identify priority toxicity mechanisms which are specific to fish. During this phase, we will identify active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) for which fish are particularly sensitive. This will generate a list of prioritised mechanisms of toxicity for APIs that will be applied in the testing platform to be developed in the subsequent phase of the project.

You will be working with an internationally leading team of academics and industrial partners to guide development and deployment of new predictive computational approaches to assess safety of chemicals. The successful applicant will have a PhD or MSc with experience in informatics within a biological context and ideally good proficiency in coding. 

This post will be offered on a fixed-term contract for 6 months with possibility for reappointment for an additional 3 years 

This is a full-time post

Key responsibilities

• Carry out (bio)informatics research relating to the NC3Rs CRACK IT DEVINA project
• Participate in laboratory meetings 
• Contribute to laboratory duties 

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.  

Skills, knowledge, and experience

Essential criteria  

1.       PhD or MSc 

2.       Postgraduate skills in informatics 

3.       Postgraduate skills in coding 

4.       Postgraduate level knowledge of area within Biosciences 

Desirable criteria

1.       Knowledge of toxicology and risk assessment 

2.       Knowledge of New Alternative Methodologies (NAMs) in chemical risk assessment 

3.       Knowledge of fish biochemistry and/or physiology