Research Assistant in Computational Cancer Biology

Queen's University Belfast - School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences

Location:BelfastSalary:£35,136 per annumHours:Full TimeContract Type:Permanent

Placed On: 9th February 2026

Closes: 23rd February 2026

Job Ref: 26/113113

We have a research assistant post to work under supervision of Dr Philip Dunne. The successful candidate will become an integral member of a dynamic, collaborative and well-equipped research group that puts a strong focus on interdisciplinary research. Our group provides a stimulating research environment where development of new ideas is strongly encouraged, alongside support for career development for emerging talents.

Overall, this project aims to unveil the interplay between the epithelial tumour and surrounding immune/stromal cells to ultimately improving our understanding of colorectal cancer (CRC).

Our group is primarily focussed on biological discovery and identification of molecular signalling and/or morphological phenotypes that will enable improved understanding of disease. This approach involves a combination of molecular biology, computational analysis and pathological assessment, enabling an integrated evaluation of the tumour ecosystem. The overarching goals of this research group is to improve survival rates for patients with CRC, through improved understanding of the signalling pathways underpinning initiation, invasion and metastasis in CRC.

The successful candidate must have, and your application should clearly demonstrate that you meet the following essential criteria:

• Degree or equivalent in subject relevant to research activity, including cancer bioinformatics.
• Relevant research experience with molecular interrogation of transcriptomics cancer datasets
• Demonstrable experience in molecular stratification of cancer (e.g. publications, preprints) using bulk and single cell transcriptomic data.
• Experience with single cell datasets, to include characterisation of phenotypes related to tumour evolution and trajectory analyses.

To be successful at shortlisting stage, please ensure you clearly evidence in your application how you meet the essential and, where applicable, desirable criteria listed in the Candidate Information on our website.

This post is available for 12 months. Fixed term contract posts are available for the stated period in the first instance but in particular circumstances may be renewed or made permanent subject to availability of funding.