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Please get in touch informally to find out more about the below positions (rory.johnson[at]ucd.ie).

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Postdoc Opportunities: Cancer Genomics for Regulatory RNA Therapeutics

Are you an ambitious researcher looking for a challenge at the forefront of cancer, genome editing and RNA therapeutics? The Laboratory for Genomics of Long Noncoding RNAs and Disease (GOLD Lab) is hiring!

 

📍 About the Lab

Based in the Conway Institute at University College Dublin (Ireland), we are an interdisciplinary team dedicated to understanding the roles of long non-protein-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in disease. We specialize in creating new tools based on CRISPR-Cas genome editing and bioinformatics. We participate actively in major international consortia (Genomics England, GENCODE, FANTOM).

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🔬 The Project

Funded by a prestigious Research Ireland (SFI) Frontiers for the Future Award, this project investigates how tumour mutations act through lncRNAs to drive cancer.

• Data: 16,000 whole tumour genomes from Genomics England.

• Methods: Advanced genome editing (Prime editing, CRISPRi), oligonucleotide therapeutics, and machine learning.

• Collaborators: Dr. Catriona Dowling (RCSI) and Dr. Colm Ryan (UCD).

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👥 We are recruiting for two distinct roles:

Role 1: Experimental Researcher (🧬 Postdoc 1)

• Focus: Biological discovery and therapeutic proof-of-concept.

• Responsibilities: High-throughput genome editing, advanced disease models, developing therapeutic oligonucleotides.

• Requirements: Strong background in molecular/cancer cell biology. Experience in RNA biology or functional cancer assays is highly desirable.

Role 2: Bioinformatic Researcher (💻 Postdoc 2)

• Focus: Computational discovery and mechanistic prediction of driver mutations.

• Responsibilities: Driver gene discovery from 16,000+ tumours, multi-omic integration, processing NGS data.

• Requirements: PhD in Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, or Statistics. Proficiency in Python/R and experience with NGS data analysis is essential.

 

🎁 What We Offer

• Salary: Competitive (Based on Research Ireland scale).

• Environment: A vibrant, social, and inclusive lab community at the state-of-the-art UCD Conway Institute.

• Career Growth: A high-profile project bridging basic genomics and translational therapeutics.

 

📩 How to Apply

Send your CV and a brief motivation message to Dr. Rory Johnson (rory.johnson [at] ucd.ie).

• Subject Line: "RIBOncology Recruitment"

• Note: Clearly indicate which role you are applying for.

• Timeline: Interviews in April 2026; Start date June 2026.

Website: www.gold-lab.org | Twitter: @GOLDLab_UCD

 

📚 Key Publications

• Nature Reviews Genetics (2024): Targeting and engineering lncRNAs for cancer therapy.

• Nature Communications (2023): Tumour mutations in lncRNAs enhance cell fitness.

• Cell Genomics (2022): Multi-hallmark lncRNA maps in NSCLC.​​

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full details here

 

 

MSc Students

 

We have great projects, both experimental and bioinformatic, for MSc students! (Unfortunately for administrative reasons, you must be self-funding). Please contact Rory for more information.

 

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PhD Students​

PhD scholarship opportunities from China Scholarship Council, full details here​​​​​​​​

 

Below are some possible funding sources for interested students:

• China Scholarship Council (link)

• Irish Research Council https://research.ie/funding/goipg/

• Breakthrough Cancer Research https://www.breakthroughcancerresearch.ie/funding-information/

• Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds https://www.boehringer-ingelheim.com/procurement/research-development/boehringer-ingelheim-fonds

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Postdocs

Irish Research Council https://research.ie/funding/goipd/

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