Data Research Assistant

The UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI) is the biggest UK initiative supporting research to fill the major knowledge gap in our basic understanding of the diseases that cause dementia.

Neurodegenerative research spans various scales, from molecular to population levels and it benefits immensely from the rapidly evolving innovations in informatics and data science and the growing collation of omics and population level life-course data. The UK DRI holds the lead in identifying novel questions that can only be addressed with the inclusion of such innovations.

The UK DRI Core Informatics team serves as the core for the UK DRI national informatics programme. The team enhances data access, training, partnerships, and technical capacity for researchers, fostering data sharing and boosting data science capabilities. The team is currently based at UCL and interacts closely with the UK DRI UCL centre staff.

About the role

We have an exciting opportunity for an individual with work experience in a life science field to join our Core Informatics team. We seek candidates who are excited and committed to tackling dementia through collaborative efforts across a dementia organisation that is committed to advancing dementia research.

You will participate in several stages of data lifecycle management, such as pre- and post-processing of data, curation, management, harmonisation and submission of the large and diverse amounts of data generated by UK DRI research teams.

You will interrogate and resolve potential issues associated with the datasets, safeguard high data quality and ensure that key people are kept informed of the progress. You will work together with other UK DRI software engineers and bioinformaticians to standardise and troubleshoot reporting and processes. The efforts will contribute to reproducible data integration into the UK DRI knowledge graph.

The post is available from 1 September 2025 and is funded by the UK DRI for one year in the first instance.

If you need reasonable adjustments or a more accessible format to apply for this job online, or have any queries regarding the application process, please contact the Institute of Neurology HR Team ( ).

Informal enquiries regarding the role can be addressed to Amonida Zadissa, UK DRI Associate Director of Informatics ( ).

We expect to hold interviews on the week of 21 July 2025.

A full job description and person specification for this role can be accessed below.

About you

You will have a MSc in bioinformatics, computational biology, computer science, statistical genetics or a discipline with skills transferrable to these domains, or equivalent experience. Experience with data integration, manipulation, and harmonisation is essential as is practical experience with processing and analysis of large datasets, particularly next-generation sequencing, and a familiarity with high-performance computing environments. Demonstrable programming skills in R and/or Python, excellent oral and written communication skills, and good interpersonal skills are also a requirement.

What we offer

The post is graded as UCL Grade 6B with salary in the range £38,607 to £41,255 per annum including London Allowance.

As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer great benefits, some of which are below:

• 41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days)
• Additional 5 days' annual leave purchase scheme
• Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)
• Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan
• On-site gym
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
• Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service

We will consider applications to work on a part-time, flexible, and job share basis wherever possible.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

The Institute prides itself on operating in an all-inclusive environment irrespective of personal, physical, or social characteristics. Teamwork is highly valued, individual strengths are recognised and celebrated, and we are committed to advancing the careers of everyone. 12% of Institute staff are actively working on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) initiatives; visitour EDI website for more information about our initiatives and priorities. The Institute also holds an Athena SWAN Silver award , in recognition of our commitment and demonstrable impact in advancing gender equality.

As London's Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world's talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.

We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL's workforce; these include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds, disabled people, LGBTQI+ and gender diverse people in all roles, and women in Grade 9 and 10 roles.

Attached documents are available under links. Clicking a document link will initialize its download.