Research Assistant in Neuroepigenomics

We are seeking to appoint a Research Assistant in Neuroepigenomics in Dr Nott’s focusing on understanding how the epigenome regulates brain cell type gene expression programs during ageing and disease. You will lead one or more projects characterising the epigenome of brain vascular and immune cell-types for the interpretation of disease susceptibility. You will contribute to the design and analysis of large-scale ‘omics datasets with a primary focus on analysis of the epigenome and chromatin architecture to address major research questions relevant to dementia.

Today, over 1 million people in the UK are living with dementia and related neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and motor neuron disease (MND). The impact of these incurable and progressive conditions on individuals and their families is devastating. The cost to the economy and public services is large and growing as the UK population ages. However, due to major advances in our understanding of the biology of these diseases, the scientific field is at a tipping point, with the next decade promising to deliver transformative breakthroughs in therapies and a new era of predictive, preventative, and precision medicine for neurodegenerative conditions. The UK is well placed to play a leading role in this revolution due to its scientific strengths in the field, led by the UK Dementia Research Institute () working with our world-class, university-based centres. We are a globally leading multidisciplinary research institute of over 900 staff investigating the spectrum of neurodegenerative disorders causing dementia, driving a step change in our understanding of neurodegeneration, and accelerating the discovery, development and delivery of interventions that will help diagnose, treat, and ultimately prevent dementia. Our principal funder is the Medical Research Council (MRC).

You will use next-generation sequencing data from patient-derived brain tissue and stem cell model systems to identify signalling pathways and transcription factors dysregulated in brain diseases with a focus on Alzheimer’s disease and vascular-associated dementias. You will use genomic datasets that may include RNA-seq, ChIP-seq, CUT&Tag, ATAC-seq, capture-based HiC, and single-cell/nuclei datasets.

This role is based in the and is part of the . You will join a busy, multidisciplinary research laboratory based at Imperial’s White City Campus in west London. Research Assistants enjoy excellent career development opportunities, including: