TSSFL TECHNOLOGY STACK

A PhD position at the interface of statistical genomics, genetics and drug discovery is available at the European Molecular Biology Laboratory - European Bioinformatics Institute (EMBL-EBI). The project will be based at the EMBL-EBI in Cambridge, in conjunction with the University of Cambridge as degree granting institution. The project will primarily be supervised by Oliver Stegle and is ideally suited for students with a strong background in statistics, mathematics, physics or a related discipline. We also invite applications from students in the life sciences with a strong interest in mathematical or statistical modeling. This project provides an exciting opportunity to work on interdisciplinary problems, and to develop methods and tools for the analysis of real-world big data sets with direct applicability to the development of new medicines.

The Statistical Genomics and Systems Genetics Group at EMBL-EBI (http://www.ebi.ac.uk/research/stegle) led by Dr Oliver Stegle uses computational approaches to unravel the genotype-phenotype map on a genome-wide scale. This project aims to develop new and refined tools for tying together genetic, genomic and phenotypic data. The integration of genetic information, gene expression levels, regulatory elements and other molecular traits will improve understanding of the molecular mechanisms of genotype-phenotype associations. By applying these methods to large-scale genomic datasets, we will deliver novel biological insights and provide evidence for functional relationships.

The Statistical Genomics and Systems Genetics Group at EMBL-EBI (http://www.ebi.ac.uk/research/stegle) led by Dr Oliver Stegle uses computational approaches to unravel the genotype-phenotype map on a genome-wide scale. This project aims to develop new and refined tools for tying together genetic, genomic and phenotypic data. The integration of genetic information, gene expression levels, regulatory elements and other molecular traits will improve understanding of the molecular mechanisms of genotype-phenotype associations. By applying these methods to large-scale genomic datasets, we will deliver novel biological insights and provide evidence for functional relationships.

This is a CASE award with GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) a science-led global healthcare company and will be co-supervised by Dr Erika Cule (erika.j.cule@gsk.com), Principal Statistician in Target Sciences, part of GSK R&D. The project is aligned to the Centre for Therapeutic Target Validation (CTTV, http://www.targetvalidation.org/). The CTTV is a groundbreaking public-private partnership between GSK, EMBL-EBI and the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, with a mission to provide evidence on the biological validity of drug targets and the likelihood of a medicine acting on these targets being effective. The CTTV uses genome-scale experiments and analysis and is committed to sharing its data openly with the scientific community.

As well as benefitting from the input of an industry co-supervisor, the student will have the opportunity to contribute to work at the interface between academia and industry and impact on the discovery of new medicines, and the opportunity to spend a dedicated period of their studentship working directly on an industry problem.


This position is jointly funded by the BBSRC and a CASE award from GSK, and the applicant must satisfy BBSRC eligibility requirements.

The anticipated starting date is October 2015. This project is offered as part of the EMBL International PhD Programme (http://www.embl.de/training/eipp/index.html). Applicants must apply online at http://www.embl.de/training/eipp/application/index.html. Applicants must register by 13 April 2015 and submit a full application by the 20th April 2015.