RESEARCHER

Department: Sydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience

Job Summary

A Researcher position as a staff scientist is available to support the Roche Research Chair In Precision Medicine and African Genomics. This role will support research to accelerate African-led genomics research, strengthen clinical translation, and build the scientific capacity needed to make precision medicine a practical reality on the continent. The aim is to apply bioinformatics approaches and human genetics expertise to different projects and disease areas to develop the building blocks to enable clinical translation of genomic medicine.

The successful candidate will contribute to development of new paediatric cohorts for long-term follow-up, thereby creating a valuable resource for studying disease across the life course. This resource will include the creation of multi-omic datasets to identify novel disease-causing variants and regulatory mechanisms. The research scientist will play an important role within the research group and will be expected to collaboratively contribute to different research directions, provide intellectual and technical contributions across ongoing projects. The position represents an exciting opportunity to work as part of a multidisciplinary team, to train students and junior researchers, and to contribute to grant applications.

Key Responsibilities

The research scientist will have the following responsibilities:

• Scientific support of ongoing and new research projects within the group
• Independent development, assessment, and application of novel approaches to analyse multi-omics datasets
• Preparation and contribution to peer-reviewed manuscripts
• Supporting and training of postgraduate students in data analysis and interpretation
• Contributing to grant applications, reporting, and budget management
• Fostering local and international collaborations and networks
• Contributing to the strategic development of the group's research programme

Requirements

Requirements to apply:

Academic qualification : The minimum requirement is a completed masters degree in human Genetics, Bioinformatics, or a related field.

A completed PhD (Human Genetics, Bioinformatics, or a related field), or a PhD that is under examination or close to submission, would be preferred.

Research experience :

• At least three (3) publications involving original human related research, of which the applicant is first author on at least one (1) publication.
• Demonstrated experience in analysing next-generation sequencing data, multi-omics data analysis, and genomic variant interpretation.
• Proficiency in Python, BASH and/or R; experience with Linux-based high-performance computing (HPC).

Recommended skills or experience that would be an advantage:

• Evidence of contributions to securing research funding.
• Experience in training junior researchers and postgraduate students.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team, with limited supervision.
• Experience working in a research environment on human related data.

Remuneration & Benefits

Additional Details:

The position is offered on a fixed-term basis of five years, with the possibility of renewal subject to performance and funding availability. Salary will be commensurate with experience and will be graded in accordance with University of the Witwatersrand remuneration scales.