Job Description

Position Details

Department of Immunology and Immunotherapy, School of Infection, Inflammation and Immunology, College of Medicine and Health

Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK

Full time starting salary is normally in the range £36,636 to £46,049 with potential progression once in post to £48,822

Grade: 7

Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to August 2028

Closing date: 17th September 2026

Background

Applications are invited for a 2 year full-time Post Doctoral Research Fellow with bioinformatics expertise to contribute to the analysis of large datasets collected from clinical trial patients with Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD). The appointed candidate would join the team led by Dr Heather Long in the Department of Immunology and Immunotherapy.

PTLD is a life-threatening B cell lymphoma that arises in 1-20% of transplant patients. Around 50% of cases are caused by reactivation of Epstein-Barr virus. Although the major risk factor for PTLD is long-term immunosuppression, the exact immune deficiencies that enable its development are unknown. Consequently there are no biomarkers that permit monitoring and early identification of patients at risk. Most patients therefore present with advanced disease which responds poorly to standard treatment.

Working alongside a UK clinical trial, we have generated large immune profiling data sets from PTLD patient and control patient blood and are performing single cell spatial transcriptomics to analyse the immune microenvironment of PTLD tumours. The appointed candidate will create and contribute to the creation of knowledge of the underlying immunology of PTLD through identification of immune-based biomarkers within the generated datasets and through integration of the laboratory data with patient clinical outcomes.

The candidate will be part of an integrative and multi-disciplinary team working collaboratively to deliver this workstream.

To apply, please upload a cover letter and CV.

We expect to interview shortlisted candidates in person.

Role Summary

• Work within specified research grants and projects and contribute to writing bids
• Operate within area of specialism
• Analyse and interpret research findings and results
• Contribute to generating funding
• Contribute to licensing or spin out deals with demonstrated commercial success (such as revenues, asset or company sales, IP generated) and/or public understanding of the discipline or similar

Main Duties

The responsibilities may include some but not all of the responsibilities outlined below.

• Analysis of multiparameter CyTOF and flow cytometry data
• Analysis of spatial transcriptomics data
• Integration of laboratory and clinical data
• Develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research, with assistance of a mentor if required
• Participate in research team meetings
• Contribute to writing bids for research funding
• Analyse and interpret data
• Apply knowledge in a way which develops new intellectual understanding
• Disseminate research findings for publication, research seminars etc
• Supervise students on research related work and provide guidance to PhD students where appropriate to the discipline
• Participate and contribute to public engagement events
• Contribute to developing new models, techniques and methods
• Undertake management/administration arising from research
• Contribute to Departmental/School research-related activities and research-related administration
• Contribute to enterprise, business development and/or public engagement activities of manifest benefit to the College and the University, often under supervision of a project leader
• Collect research data; this may be through a variety of research methods, such as scientific experimentation, literature reviews, and research interviews
• Present research outputs, including drafting academic publications or parts thereof, for example at seminars and as posters
• Provide guidance, as required, to support staff and any students who may be assisting with the research
• Deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines
• Fosters a fair and equitable workplace for all staff
• Identify and respond to equality and diversity issues in line with relevant university policies and procedures
• Other relevant criteria from our equality and diversity duties document.

Person Specification

• A PhD relevant to the research area (or near completion), or equivalent PhD level qualifications.
• Knowledge of multiplex cytometry data analysis programs including OMIQ
• Experience in statistical programming with R and/or Python.
• Knowledge of R/Python spatial transcriptomics data analysis packages such as Seurat/Giotto/Squidpy.
• Understanding of immune-related bioinformatics
• High level analytical capability
• Ability to communicate complex information clearly
• Fluency in relevant models, techniques or methods and ability to contribute to developing new ones
• Ability to assess resource requirements and use resources effectively
• Understanding of and ability to contribute to broader management/administration processes
• Contribute to the planning and organising of the research programme and/or specific research project
• Co-ordinate own work with others to avoid conflict or duplication of effort
• Knowledge of the protected characteristics and duties under the Equality Act 2010. Including fostering good relations and advancing the universities Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED).
• Other relevant criteria from our equality and diversity knowledge, skills and experience document.

Further particulars can be found here

Informal enquiries to Heather Long, email: h.m.long@bham.ac.uk

Use of AI in applications: We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.

We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website.