Postdoctoral Fellow in Computational Modelling of NeuroImmune Mechanisms of Neurodegeneration (Open Targets)
EMBL-EBI - European Bioinformatics Institute
Hinxton, United Kingdom
Your role

As a Postdoctoral Fellow on the NeuroImmune Open Targets project, you will develop and apply integrative computational pipelines to dissect immune-cell phenotypes and cell–cell interactions across Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patient tissues and matched induced pluripotent stem cells models.

Your group

Saez-Rodriguez Research Group in collaboration with Open-Targets

Your supervisor

Julio Saez-Rodriguez

You will

• Analyze large-scale single-cell and spatial transcriptomics datasets from human brain samples to identify shared multi-cellular pathological features;
• Build and apply statistical and machine-learning methods to infer cell-cell signaling networks and causal drivers;
• Develop pipelines to compare patient-derived data with hiPSC-derived models, identifying recapitulated phenotypes and candidate intervention targets;
• Write up results for high-impact publications and present at international conferences;
• Contribute to collaborative grant proposals and supervise junior team members.

You have

• PhD in a relevant field with evidence of productive computational research;
• Hands-on experience with single-cell and spatial data analysis workflows;
• Strong statistical modelling and coding proficiency in R and/or Python;
• Ability to translate complex computational results into biological insights;
• A track record of (co)first-author publications and effective science communication.

You may also have

• Demonstrated experience with single-cell and/or spatial transcriptomics data analysis;
• Experience with network biology computational tools;
• Knowledge of immunology, especially microglial and T-cell biology;
• Background in neurodegenerative disease biology (e.g., AD, PD, ALS) and/or familiarity with polygenic risk score analyses or rare-variant genetics would also be useful.

Benefits and Contract Information

• Financial incentives: depending on circumstances, monthly family/marriage allowance of £272, monthly child allowance of £328 per child. Generous stipend reviewed yearly, pension scheme, death benefit, long-term care, accident-at-work and unemployment insurances;
• Hybrid 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;
• 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, child sick leave, generous parental leave, holiday clubs on campus and monthly family and child allowances;
• Contract duration: This position is a 2 year fixed term contract with possibility for renewal to a maximum of 5 years;
• Salary: Year 1 Stipend at rate of £3,307 per month after tax (Total package will be dependant on family circumstances);
• 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;
• To apply please submit a cover letter and a CV through our online system before the closing date: 20/07/2025.