Senior Research Fellow

As a Senior Research Fellow, you will:

• Lead a project to extract structured clinical findings from electronic health records (EHRs) using open-source large language models (LLMs) and harmonise findings to clinically relevant ontologies (in line with previously published research).
• Drive translational research integrating clinical and genomic data to advance personalised diagnostics for common autoimmune disease.
• Develop, implement and maintain robust, reproducible LLM-based pipelines, using modern workflow systems and high-performance computing platforms.
• Produce rigorous, high-quality research outputs that advance applied genomic diagnostics and build your growing research profile.
• Contribute to the design and delivery of education and training in genomic data science for academic and clinical audiences.
• Effectively manage early career researchers in the planning and delivery of project objectives.
• Collaborate with local and international multidisciplinary colleagues across genomics, clinical medicine, data science, statistics, software engineering and compute infrastructure to deliver impactful research and project objectives.

The successful candidate will work at the interface of University Genomic Informatic Research, high-performance compute infrastructure (IRIDIS), NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, and the Southampton Emerging Therapies and Technologies (SETT) group.

You will bring:

• A PhD in health informatics, bioinformatics, genomics, computational biology, data science, or a closely related field.
• Extensive experience integrating genomic data with structured clinical or phenotypic data, and familiarity with clinical ontologies such as HPO, SNOMED CT and ICD-10
• Extensive hands-on experience with using open-source large language models, EHR data extraction, high-throughput sequencing data analysis, and bioinformatics workflows used in research and/or diagnostic settings.
• Strong programming skills (e.g., Python, R, Perl, C/C++, Bash) and confidence working across Linux and other operating systems.
• Experience with ontology management software.
• Experience with data governance for handling sensitive EHR, genomic, and clinical data.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, enabling you to collaborate effectively across disciplines and convey complex concepts to diverse stakeholders.
• Proven ability to conduct research, work independently, and manage competing demands across projects.
• Proven ability to publish original research as a first author.

At Southampton, you will be part of a world-class research environment with access to facilities, expertise and professional development opportunities.

We can offer:

• Access to cutting-edge technologies, high-performance computing and secure data environments across academic and NHS settings.
• Opportunities to work with national partners such as NHS Genomic Medicine Service, Genomics England, Health Data Research Service secure data environments, Biomedical Research Centres and population-scale datasets.
• A multidisciplinary research community with links across medicine, computational sciences, and translational research.
• Professional development, mentoring, and opportunities to build research independence.
• A supportive and inclusive working environment committed to equality and diversity, including Athena SWAN principles.
• A competitive benefits package, including generous holiday allowances, pension scheme membership, flexible and part-time working options, and access to subsidised campus facilities.

For informal enquiries, please contact S.Ennis@southampton.ac.uk.

*A standard DBS check is required for this role.