Research Associate in Evolutionary Genomics

Location: Silwood Park Campus 

Job Summary 

You will investigate how plant-fungal symbioses underpins speciation and plant diversity, including surveying mycorrhiza in Howea palms using metabarcoding, dual-RNA seq, and including fieldwork and experiments on the minute and isolated Lord Howe Island, a-UNESCO designated World Heritage Site in Australia.

Lab website: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/v.savolainen 

Duties and responsibilities

• Genomic Analyses: Your primary responsibility will entail (i) conducting comprehensive genomic analyses of metabarcoding data from root and soil to characterise mycorrhizal diversity on Lord Howe Island; (ii) characterise differential gene expression in natural conditions between interacting organisms (DNA extractions and analyses of dual-RNA seq data), and (iii) characterise the potential interaction among host and fungal genotypes and between soils using a common garden experiment already set up on the island (DNA extractions and analyses of dual-RNA seq data).
• Team Leadership: In addition to your analytical duties, you will help supervise a dynamic, multi-disciplinary team comprising both PhD and Masters students. This pivotal position necessitates adept guidance, fostering collaborative synergies, and ensuring the seamless execution of our research objectives.
• Publications: As a valued team member, you will actively contribute to disseminating our ground-breaking research findings by co-authoring publications in high-impact, refereed journals, thereby fostering broader scholarly discourse and advancement in the field.

Essential requirements

These include: 

• Hold, or be near completion of, a PhD in evolution, ecology, genetics, or genomics.
• A robust background in genomics, molecular biology, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated proficiency in analytical methodologies and research techniques.
• Proven experience in leadership roles within collaborative research environments.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills to effectively convey complex scientific concepts.

Further Information

This is a full time, fixed term position until 30 June 2026. You will be based at Silwood Park Campus.

Candidates who have not yet been officially awarded their PhD will be appointed as a Research Assistant.

Should you require any further details on the role please contact: Prof Vincent Savolainen v.savolainen@imperial.ac.uk

The College is a proud signatory to the San-Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), which means that in hiring and promotion decisions, we evaluate applicants on the quality of their work, not the journal impact factor where it is published. For more information, see https://www.imperial.ac.uk/research-and-innovation/about-imperial-research/research-evaluation/

The College believes that the use of animals in research is vital to improve human and animal health and welfare. Animals may only be used in research programmes where their use is shown to be necessary for developing new treatments and making medical advances. Imperial is committed to ensuring that, in cases where this research is deemed essential, all animals in the College’s care are treated with full respect, and that all staff involved with this work show due consideration at every level.

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/research-and-innovation/about-imperial-research/research-integrity/animal-research/

Advert information