King's College London
Research Associate in MND Genetics
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Research Associate in MND Genetics
Department
Basic & Clinical Neuroscience
About us
The post sits within the UK MND Research Institute in the Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience at King’s College London, and forms part of Workstream 3 in the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre and charity funded EXPERTS-ALS experimental medicines platform. EXPERTS-ALS is an innovative clinical trial designed to rapidly test multiple potential treatments for motor neuron disease (also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS, MND). The MND research team at King’s has been active since the 1990s and has been recognised by multiple international awards. It is closely integrated with the clinical service, Biomedical Research Centre and Dementia Research Institute, offering a full range of research from discovery science through to late-stage clinical trials.
About the role
The post-holder will carry out genomic analyses of samples from the EXPERTS-ALS programme as well as other research collections, integrating findings with clinical data, epigenetic results, transcriptomics, and proteomics. They will work closely with other members of the MND research group, including both wet-lab and bioinformatics teams, to generate, analyse and interpret research findings. The post-holder will work closely with Dr Ahmad Al Khleifat and report to Professor Ammar Al-Chalabi, Director of the King’s MND Care and Research Centre, while providing updates to the NIHR Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre as required.
The successful applicant will be expected to present their findings at national and international conferences and meetings, and to publish in peer-reviewed journals.
This is a full-time post (35 hours per week), and you will be offered a fixed-term contract until 31/03/2028.
Research staff at King’s are entitled to at least 10 days per year (pro-rata) for professional development. This entitlement, from the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers, applies to Postdocs, Research Assistants, Research and Teaching Technicians, Teaching Fellows and AEP equivalent up to and including grade 7. Visit the Centre for Research Staff Development for more information.
About you
To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:
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Essential criteria
- PhD or equivalent experience in a relevant subject area (e.g. bioinformatics, and Genetics).
- Up-to-date knowledge of NGS pipelines
- Experience working with large-scale DNA sequencing datasets
- Developed and applied innovative research methods, using creativity to analyse and interpret data.
- Experience in analysing clinical samples to identify genomic markers associated with disease risk, phenotype, and treatment response.
- Proficient in Unix-based systems and programming in at least one language (Python, Java, Bash, Perl, R)
- Proven experience supervising students in genetics, guiding their academic progress and research skill development.
- Publication records commensurate with grade
Desirable criteria
- Ability to carry out statistical analysis of genetic data
- Up-to-date knowledge of machine learning methods applied to clinical and omics data
- Experience in the analysis of epigenetic and transcriptomic data.
Downloading a copy of our Job Description
Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge, and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the page. This document will provide information on what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.
Please note that this is a PhD level role but candidates who have submitted their thesis and are awaiting the award of their PhDs will be considered. In these circumstances, the appointment will be made at Grade 5, spine point 30, with the title of Research Assistant. Upon confirmation of the award of the PhD, the job title will become Research Associate and the salary will increase to Grade 6.
Further Information
At King’s, we believe that the diversity of our community and a culture that is welcoming, open, inclusive, and collaborative, are great strengths of the university.
The Equality Act of 2010 protects the rights of our students and staff and provides a framework to fulfil our duties to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment, and victimisation and, in addition, to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between those who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. At times, this will include balancing rights and beliefs that can feel in tension.
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We are committed to free speech and to academic freedom, believing that our foundational purpose as a university is to create spaces where a wide range of ideas, including ideas that are controversial, can be discussed and debated, and where members of our community can express lawful views without fear of intimidation, harassment, or discrimination.
When engaging in the robust exchange of ideas, we ask that our community is mindful of our Dignity at King’s guidance.
We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the person specification section of the job description. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is evolving rapidly, and we recognise its growing role in professional work. Applicants may use AI tools to support preparation of their application, for example, to research the role or structure written responses. However, applications must reflect the applicant’s own work and experience. AI tools should not be used during interviews or assessment activities unless this has been agreed in advance as a reasonable adjustment. Further guidance on the use of AI in recruitment can be found here.
We reserve the right to close adverts early due to the volume of applications we receive. While the closing date may change, all adverts will close at 23:59 to allow sufficient time for applications to be submitted on that day.
We encourage you to apply at the earliest opportunity to avoid disappointment as once we have closed a vacancy, you will be unable to submit your application.
To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our ‘How we Recruit’ pages.
Grade and Salary
£45,031 - £52,514 per annum, including London Weighting Allowance
Job ID
159106
Post Date
21-Sep-2026
Close Date
05-Oct-2026
Contact Person
Ammar Al-Chalabi
Contact Details
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