Research Fellow / Senior Research Fellow

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Computational Biology Group headed by Professor Christine Orengo. The successful applicant will join a pioneering research effort focused on developing novel AI-based methods for classifying proteins into domain superfamilies and functional families.

We are seeking a highly motivated Researcher to develop novel algorithms and computational workflows to classify, analyse and functionally characterise the massive predicted protein structure data available from the AlphaFold Database (AFDB) at the European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI). In particular, AI/Deep Learning-based methods for domain detection and homologue classification, as well as AI-based function predictors for CATH functional families. These methods will be integrated within in-house data generation pipelines using NextFlow.

The work will be in collaboration with the team of Prof. David Jones who is based in the same computational biology laboratory as the Orengo team at UCL. It will also be in collaboration with Dr Sameer Velankar who manages the Protein Databank in Europe (PDBe) at the EBI. Domain classification data will be disseminated through the PDBe Knowledge Base.

The Orengo group also collaborates with the group of Prof. Burkhard R ost in the Technical University of Munich with opportunities for exchange visits to learn more about cutting edge AI/Deep Learning methodologies being developed in the Rost group. Further collaborative work with the InterPro team at EBI, managed by Dr Alex Bateman, will evaluate Deep Learning methods for homologue detection and protein function annotation.

This post is funded for 3 years and will be based in the lab of Professor Christine Orengo at UCL.

You must have a PhD in molecular biology, bioinformatics, computational biology, computer science, or a related subject area and proven knowledge of python programming and HPC.

You will be expected to work as part of a tightly integrated team of computational biologists to produce novel algorithms and workflows for domain evolutionary and functional classification and to apply these to proteins deposited in the PDB, AFDB, UniProt or related resources.

In addition to developing and conducting the research, you will contribute expertise to the overall research effort in the Orengo group. You will also communicate results as scientific papers in leading journals, and as scientific presentations at national and international conferences.

Appointment at Grade 7 is dependent upon having been awarded a PhD; if this is not the case, initial appointment will be at Research Assistant Grade 6B (salary £37,332 - £39,980 per annum) with payment at Grade 7 be ing backdated to the date of final submission of the PhD thesis.

Appointment at Grade 8 (up to spine point 42, £57,315 per annum) will be dependent on having an having an internationally recognised research portfolio. Experience of leading and managing a research project and well developed leadership, management and influencing skills.

If you have any queries about the role, please see contact details on the UCL job advert page.

As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits.

Visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/reward-and-benefits to find out more.

As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent.

You can read more about our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/equality-diversity-inclusion/

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