Join us

About the role

We are looking for a motivated Research Associate to lead the genomic and proteomic analyses for STRAT-GLP1, a research programme funded by The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research (MJFF). This post will deliver the core analytical aims of the project, using human genetics, multi-cohort genome-wide association studies (GWAS), plasma proteomics, and drug-target Mendelian randomisation to define metabolically stratified Parkinson’s disease (PD) subtypes and identify which patients are most likely to respond to GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs).

What you would be doing

You will be working closely with Dr Cynthia Sandor and collaborators at Cardiff University (Prof Caleb Webber, Dr Samuel Neaves, and Dr Viola Volpato). The project aims to understand how metabolic factors — including insulin resistance, glycaemic dysregulation, adiposity, lipid metabolism, and renin–angiotensin system activity — influence PD risk, genetic architecture, and disease progression. Using large international datasets including UK Biobank, All of Us, Our Future Health, PPMI, and OPDC/Tracking, you will perform stratified GWAS and drug-target Mendelian randomisation to identify genetically defined PD subtypes, and translate these findings into clinically actionable blood-based proteomic biomarkers using Olink (PPMI and UK Biobank) and SomaScan (OPDC/Tracking) platforms.

You will be the primary analyst on the project, with access to established data pipelines and secure compute environments from day one (UK Biobank Application 69610; PPMI; All of Us; Our Future Health; OPDC/Tracking). Advanced statistical approaches will be used to integrate genetic and proteomic data to identify patterns of disease progression and potential therapeutic targets, including GLP1R-related pathways.

What we are looking for

You will hold a PhD in statistical genetics, computational biology, bioinformatics, epidemiology, or a closely related quantitative discipline. You should have demonstrable experience in GWAS, Mendelian randomisation, and large-scale biobank data analysis. Familiarity with proteomic datsets and Bayesian modelling is desirable but not essential.

About the role

Launched in 2017, the UK DRI stands as a beacon of scientific innovation, representing an unprecedented £300 million investment in dementia research—the largest of its kind in UK history. The purpose of the UK DRI is to transform the outlook for people living with or at risk of neurodegenerative conditions through research.

Applications are invited for a Research Associate in oligodendrocyte and neuroimmune epigenomics to join the lab of Dr Alexi Nott (https://nottgroup.com/index.html) in the UK DRI at Imperial.

Following a new collaborative UK DRI Key Questions Award with Dr Sarah Marzi (King’s), Dr Rikesh Rajani (Edinburgh), and Dr Dervis Salih (UCL), we are seeking to appoint a dynamic postdoctoral researcher to lead one or more projects to characterise the epigenome of oligodendrocytes and neuroimmune cell types in early Alzheimer’s and resilience to dementia using patient-derived samples.  This post is funded for three years: the first 1.5 years based at Imperial on the White City Campus under the guidance of Dr Alexi Nott, where you will profile the epigenome of brain-derived oligodendrocytes and neuroimmune cell types. The second phase of the project will be in the lab of Dr Sarah Marzi, at the Denmark Hill Campus of King’s College London, to examine the epigenome of macroglia at single-cell resolution. You will contribute to the design and generation of large-scale ‘omics datasets with a primary focus on epigenomic analysis at cell-type-enriched and single-nuclei resolution to address major research questions relevant to Alzheimer’s and resilience to dementia.

Please contact Dr Alexi Nott for further discussion about the project and role.

What you would be doing

Using your experience in (epi)genomics of the brain, you will:

• Generate cell-type-enriched and single-nuclei CUT&Tag data from patient-derived brain tissue and stem cell model systems.
• Work collaboratively as part of a multi-site, multidisciplinary research team.

What we are looking for

We are seeking a motivated and organised researchers who is excited by the science we do! You will have:

• Experience in nuclei isolation, preferably from brain and/or human tissue
• Experience of fluorescence-activated nuclei sorting (FANS), and/or FACS
• Experience in epigenomics and/or single-cell genomic technologies.