Research Associate in Brain Vascular Epigenomics

About the role

Launched in 2017, the UK DRI stands as a beacon of scientific innovation, representing an unprecedented £300 million investment in dementia research - the largest of its kind in UK history. The purpose of the UK DRI is to transform the outlook for people living with or at risk of neurodegenerative conditions through research.

Applications are invited for a postdoctoral Research Associate in brain vascular epigenomics, funded by the Michael Uren Foundation, to join the laboratory of Dr Alexi Nott (https://nottgroup.com/index.html) in the UK DRI at Imperial College London.

Vascular dysfunction is one of the earliest pathological features of dementia, preceding clinical onset and representing a critical but underexplored window for therapeutic intervention. Our recent work has demonstrated that the brain neurovascular unit is a key driver of genetic risk for small vessel disease, and that epigenomic profiling of vascular cell types can be used to prioritise repurposable drug targets for dementia (Ziegler et al., Neuron, 2026). Building on these findings, the post holder will lead a translational research project investigating the cell-type-specific gene regulatory mechanisms underlying small vessel disease, with the aim of identifying and validating targets of vascular dysfunction relevant to dementia. This work carries direct translational potential, with the opportunity to contribute to the prioritisation of both repurposable and novel therapeutic candidates underpinned by human epigenetic and genetic evidence.

What you would be doing

Using your experience in (epi)genomics of the brain, you will:

• Generate and analyse large-scale epigenomic and multi-omics datasets from human vascular and immune cell types isolated from post-mortem brain tissue, to identify signalling pathways and transcription factors dysregulated in small vessel disease and dementia.
• Contribute to the functional interpretation of noncoding disease risk variants linked to vascular dysfunction, guiding the identification of genetically supported therapeutic targets.
• Work collaboratively as part of a multidisciplinary research team, including computational scientists and experimentalists, within the UK DRI and with external collaborators.

What we are looking for

We are seeking a motivated and organised researchers who is excited by the science we do! You will have:

• Demonstrable hands-on experience in (epi)genomics techniques such as CUT&Tag, ChIP-seq, or ATAC-seq, ideally in the brain.
• A strong foundational understanding of neuroscience, or a closely related discipline, with knowledge of gene regulatory mechanisms and an appreciation of how epigenomics can be used to interpret genetic variation.
• Experience with nuclei isolation and/or fluorescence-activated nuclei sorting (FANS) or FACS, preferably from brain or human tissue.
• Experience with R or Python and familiarity with bioinformatics pipelines would be advantageous but is not essential.