Closing Date: 11/02/2018
Location: Sutton
Division: Clinical Studies
Team: Paediatric Solid Tumour Biology and Therapeutics
Vacancy Type: Full time
Type of Contract: Fixed Term
Length of Contract: 3 years
Hours per Week : 35
Salary Range: £30,410 - £37,383
The Institute of Cancer Research, London, is one of the world’s most influential cancer research institutes, with an outstanding record of achievement dating back more than 100 years. We provided the first convincing evidence that DNA damage is the basic cause of cancer, laying the foundation for the now universally accepted idea that cancer is a genetic disease. Today, The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) leads the world at isolating cancer-related genes and discovering new targeted drugs for personalised cancer treatment.
Under the leadership of our Chief Executive, Professor Paul Workman FRS, the ICR is ranked as the UK’s leading academic research centre. Together with our partner The Royal Marsden, we are rated in the top four cancer centres globally.
The ICR is committed to attracting, developing and retaining the best minds in the world to join us in our mission – to make the discoveries that defeat cancer.
The new Centre for Evolution and Cancer within the Institute of Cancer Research is supported by a Strategic Award from the Wellcome Trust. We focus on interrogating clonal evolution in tumours by studying the dynamics of heterogeneous cancer cell populations and their microenvironment. We make use of multi-region genomic profiling, single-cell genetics, computational histopathological analysis and mathematical modelling to reconstruct the past evolutionary history of tumours and predict their future.
In the context of a collaboration between Prof Louis Chesler, leader of the Paediatric Solid Tumour Biology and Therapeutics team at the ICR, and Dr Andrea Sottoriva’s Evolutionary Genomics and Modelling Team within the Centre for Evolution and Cancer, we are seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Training Fellow with expertise in cancer genomics and evolutionary modelling of cancer.
The project involves the study of clonal evolution in childhood cancers over time during treatment using longitudinal sampling. The successful candidate will be responsible for analysing the data based on whole-exome, whole-genome and targeted next-generation sequencing, and designing mathematical and statistical models to interpret the results in light of tumour evolution. The ultimate the aim is understanding fundamental underlying dynamics of progression and treatment resistance in childhood malignancies. The candidate will have the opportunity to interact within a heterogeneous environment of biologists, clinicians, computer scientists and mathematicians within the ICR.
The responsibilities include bioinformatics analysis of next-generation sequencing data and, crucially, the development of mathematical and statistical models of tumour evolution. The successful candidate will work closely with a diverse team to formulate hypotheses and validate predictions using quantitative genomic assays.
Applicants should have a good first degree in mathematics, computer science, statistics or similar and a PhD in computational modelling, bioinformatics or similar. Applicants must have experience with modelling dynamical systems and have a good publication record. Experience in developing statistical models for data analysis is highly desirable. Having worked with large scale genomic datasets such as The Cancer Genome Atlas would also be highly desirable. Excellent organizational and communication skills are essential.
Informal enquiries can be made to Prof Louis Chesler (
[email protected]) or Dr Andrea Sottoriva (
[email protected]).Please DO NOT send your application via email, formal applications must be submitted online via the ICR website, please click to apply below.
