We invite applications for a Research Associate to develop novel methods for pathogen genomic epidemiology in the Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London.

The post is funded by a Wellcome Early-Career Award and will be based in a new group within the Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology. The group develops scalable mathematical and statistical approaches leveraging large pathogen genome datasets to understand the determinants of infectious disease transmission. Our work combines data analysis, genomic epidemiology, mathematical modelling and statistical inference to answer public health relevant questions. We are committed to building a positive and inclusive environment, where all team members feel that they belong and are excited to do research. We recognise the systemic barriers that exist in higher education and research, particularly for people from historically marginalised groups. Applicants from groups underrepresented in science and research are particularly encouraged to apply.

The successful candidate will develop and apply statistical and computational methods to characterise infectious disease transmission from pathogen genomic data, with an initial focus on seasonal influenza and opportunities to extend the work to other pathogens. Projects will build on approaches developed in the group that rely on genetically proximal sequences and do not require full phylogenetic tree reconstruction. The work will include a combination of method development and validation, computational simulations and data analysis, which can be balanced depending on the postholder’s interests and experience. This work is fundamentally interdisciplinary, combining infectious disease epidemiology, pathogen evolution, genomic epidemiology, mathematical modelling, statistical inference and quantitative data analysis. We do not expect candidates to be experts in all these areas, and welcome applicants with a strong foundation in one or more relevant disciplines who are enthusiastic about developing expertise across these areas.

The successful candidate will be based within the Centre for Global Infectious Disease Analysis, School of Public Health at Imperial College London and will work with Dr Cécile Tran Kiem, colleagues within the Centre and external collaborators, including researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in the United States. We will provide tailored mentoring to support the postholder’s professional and scientific development, acknowledging their individual background, working style and career objectives. We will work with them to ensure they receive the resources they need to set themselves up for success. This is a full-time, two-year position, with the possibility to extend for another year. We will consider flexible working arrangements, including part-time working.

Further information about our research programme and past research is available at https://ceciletk.github.io/. If you require any further details about the role, please contact Cécile Tran Kiem at cecile.tran-kiem18@imperial.ac.uk.