Job DescriptionGrade UE07: £40,497- £48,149 per annumCMVM / R(D)SVS / The Roslin InstituteFull-time: 35 hours per weekFixed-term: for 12 monthsWe are looking for a Postdoctoral Research Associate (PDRA) at the
Roslin Institute, under the supervision of
Dr Stella Mazeri, to contribute to cutting-edge research in rabies evolution and control through sequencing rabies virus. This post is full-time (35 hours per week).
The successful candidate will work on a project employing state-of-the-art nanopore sequencing technologies to generate and analyse rabies virus genomes. This role will focus on generating high-quality consensus sequences, performing bioinformatic analyses, and contributing to phylogenetic studies. The position involves short-term travel to
low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) for in-country sequencing and delivery of sequencing training in collaboration with Worldwide Veterinary Service.
This is an exciting opportunity to join a dynamic research group and contribute to global health research, working on a virus of critical public health importance.
Your skills and attributes for success: The successful candidate will have a PhD (or close to submission) in a relevant field, such as virology, bioinformatics, molecular biology, or genomics.
- Expertise in nanopore (Oxford Nanopore Technologies) sequencing.
- Proven ability to generate and analyse consensus sequences from raw nanopore sequence data obtained from tiled-amplicon whole genome sequencing approaches.
- Good bioinformatics skills, including analysis of genomic data using command-line bioinformatics tools and proficiency in programming languages (e.g. Python or R).
- Experience with viral genome sequencing library preparation, particularly for rabies or other RNA viruses.
- Willingness and ability to travel for around 2 weeks at a time for in-country sequencing, delivering sequencing training and collaborative activities to our study sites such as Malawi and India.
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Application Information Insert any specific details about the application process and documents that may be required, for example: Please ensure you include the following documents in your application:
- CV
- Cover letter
As a valued member of our team you can expect: - A competitive salary between £40,497- £48,149 per annum.
- An exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to work.
- To be part of a diverse and vibrant international community.
- Comprehensive Staff Benefits, such as a generous holiday entitlement, competitive pension schemes, staff discounts, and family-friendly initiatives. Check out the full list on our staff benefits page(opens in a new tab) and use our reward calculator to discover the total value of your pay and benefits
- To work closely with Worldwide Veterinary Service charity, contributing to the Mission Rabies project.
Championing equality, diversity and inclusionThe University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. We are members of the Race Equality Charter and we are also Stonewall Scotland Diversity Champions, actively promoting LGBT equality.
Prior to any employment commencing with the University you will be required to evidence your right to work in the UK. Further information is available on our
right to work webpages(opens new browser tab).
The University is able to sponsor the employment of international workers in this role. If successful, an international applicant requiring sponsorship to work in the UK will need to satisfy the UK Home Office's English Language requirements and apply for and secure a Skilled Worker Visa.
Key dates to noteThe closing date for applications is
1st May 2025.Unless stated otherwise the closing time for applications is 11:59pm GMT. If you are applying outside the UK the closing time on our adverts automatically adjusts to your browsers local time zone.
About UsAs a world-leading research-intensive University, we are here to address tomorrow's greatest challenges. Between now and 2030 we will do that with a values-led approach to teaching, research and innovation, and through the strength of our relationships, both locally and globally.
About the TeamThe Roslin Institute is a world-leading centre for animal bioscience research and has a distinctive niche within the UK National Institutes of Bioscience, supported strategically by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). The Institute moved to a new £60M state-of-the-art building at the Easter Bush Campus in 2011, which is now occupied by > 670 people including ~ 65 Group Leaders and Career Track Fellows, other research and support staff, students and visitors and ~90 staff from Scotland's Rural College. The Institute has a vibrant programme of postgraduate research, with 176 PhD students registered at the time of writing. Research at the Institute is organised across three research divisions (Genetics & Genomics, Infection & Immunity and Developmental Biology) and three Institute Strategic Programmes (BBSRC funded from 2017-2022) that integrate many disciplines (Blueprints for Healthy Animals, Control of Infectious Diseases and Improving Animal Productivity & Welfare). Crosscutting themes in Epidemiology and Population Health and in Clinical Sciences link research at the Institute to clinical activities in the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and support the research activities of clinical academic staff. In the most recent Research Excellence Framework (REF 2014), a joint submission from The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, The Roslin Institute and Scotland's Rural College was ranked 1st by research power (volume x quality) in the category of Agriculture, Veterinary and Food Science.
Over £200M has been invested in physical infrastructure at Easter Bush since 2008, including recently in the National Avian Research Facility and the Charnock Bradley Building, which houses the Roslin Innovation Centre - an incubator space for agritech start-up companies and spin out companies to commercialise the Institute's intellectual property. Investments continue, as the Institute is a major partner in the new Agri-Tech Centre for Innovation Excellence in Livestock, which together with the University, funds the construction of a £25 M Large Animal Research and Imaging Facility. The Centre for Tropical Livestock Genetics and Health, primed by investment from the Gates Foundation and Department for International Development, aims to unlock the genetic potential of farmed animals by dissecting genotype-by-environment interactions to sustainably improve animal productivity in low- and middle-income countries.
The Institute's income exceeds £30M p.a., around 50% of which derives from the BBSRC via strategic and competitive funding. Our focus on improving farming systems, animal productivity and welfare, and the control of animal and zoonotic diseases is key to delivery of the BBSRC's strategic priorities for Agriculture & Food Security, Veterinary Vaccinology and Bioscience for Health. This research is expedited by extensive interactions with industry, including via ongoing platform agreements with major animal breeding and pharmaceutical companies. The addition of our own £15M equity-funded commercialisation vehicle, Roslin Technologies Ltd, will accelerate translation of research at the Institute in the years to come. The Institute holds a prestigious Athena SWAN Gold award in recognition of our commitment to advance the representation of women in science.
Further details of the research conducted at the Institute can be found at https://www.ed.ac.uk/roslin
