Our group has a long-standing interest in the genetics of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). IBD is a chronic, debilitating disorder of the gastrointestinal tract that affects around 0.5% of the population, with a typical onset in early adulthood. Many IBD patients ultimately require major abdominal surgery, resulting in lifelong disability, because an appropriate drug either does not exist or is not administered soon enough. Total healthcare costs in the UK are estimated to be over £1 billion per year. IBD pathogenesis is poorly understood but is likely driven by a dysregulated immune response to commensal gut microorganisms in genetically susceptible individuals. IBD is highly heritable and our group has played a leading role in the identification of 240 regions of the genome associated with disease susceptibility.Postdoctoral fellow (Statistical Genetics)
Salary up to £37,396 plus excellent benefits
Fixed term for 3 years

We are looking to appoint a statistical or computational postdoctoral fellow with an interest in complex disease genetics to take the lead on one of our large-scale sequencing based studies. As part of the UK IBD Genetics Consortium we are currently whole-genome sequencing over 15,000 IBD cases and 20,000 population controls at >15X coverage. This will enable us, for the first time, to powerfully test the entire allelic spectrum for association to IBD. Data from this project will be combined with that from multi-omic studies of disease-relevant cell types to identify new therapeutic targets for IBD.

The fellow will join a multi-disciplinary team of statisticians, geneticists, immunologists, computer scientists and clinicians who work together to understand the genetics and genomics of immune-mediated disease. The fellow will help shape the future direction of the research group and have the opportunity to develop their own research projects within the scope of the group’s interests. Supervisor – Dr Carl Anderson

Essential Skills
• PhD in a relevant quantitative subject (e.g. Genetics/Genomics, Statistics, Computational Biology)
• Proficient programmer (e.g. Perl, Python, R) and user of cluster computing
• Demonstrable statistical skills with experience of analysing large-scale genetic/genomic data (e.g. 100s/1000s of individuals with sequencing/GWAS data)
• Motivation and ambition to make a personal contribution to genomic research
• A passion for problem solving and creative thinking
• A paper-oriented approach to scientific research
• Clear communicator with experience of writing scientific manuscripts
• An independent working style with high self-motivation
• Ability to work with others in a friendly and collegiate environment

Other information
The Wellcome Sanger Institute is a charitably funded research centre and committed to training the next generation of genome scientists. Focused on understanding the role of genetics in health and disease and a world leader in the genomic revolution, our mission is to use genome sequences to advance understanding of human and pathogen biology in order to improve human health. We aim to provide results that can be translated into diagnostics, treatments or therapies that reduce global health burdens. Our science is large-scale and organised into Programmes, led by our Faculty who conceive and deliver our science, and supported by our Scientific Operations teams responsible for all data production pipelines at the Institute.

Our Campus: Set over 125 acres, the stunning and dynamic Wellcome Genome Campus is the biggest aggregate concentration of people in the world working on the common theme of Genomes and BioData. It brings together a diverse and exceptional scientific community, committed to delivering life-changing science with the reach, scale and imagination to pursue some of humanity’s greatest challenges.

Our Benefits: Our employees have access to a comprehensive range of benefits and facilities including:
• Group Defined Contribution Pension Scheme and Life Assurance
• Group Income Protection
• Private Health Insurance
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by one day a year to a maximum of 30
• Family friendly environment including options for flexible and part-time working, a childcare voucher scheme, Campus Nursery and Summer holiday club
• Two days paid Employee Volunteering Leave a year
• Employee Discount Scheme
• Campus Gym, tennis courts, cricket pitch and sports hall plus a range of dining facilities
• Active Campus Sports and Social Club
• Free Campus Bus Service