Postdoctoral Research Associate(UK Visa Sponsorship)

Job Description

About the Role

The University of Reading is inviting applications for a Postdoctoral Research Associate to join an exciting European Research Council (ERC)–funded project exploring the human gut–brain axis. This ambitious research programme seeks to better understand how gut microbiota and their metabolic products influence brain function and behaviour.

You will become a key member of a highly collaborative and interdisciplinary research team, contributing advanced data analysis expertise to uncover biologically meaningful links between microbiome profiles, metabolites, and behavioural outcomes.

This position offers an excellent opportunity to develop your research career within a supportive academic environment while working at the intersection of neuroscience, microbiology, and computational biology.

What You’ll Be Doing

As part of this role, you will:

• Analyse and interpret complex gut microbiota and metabolomics datasets
• Apply advanced computational and statistical methods to biological data
• Integrate multi-modal datasets using contemporary analytical frameworks
• Contribute to the preparation of high-quality research outputs for peer-reviewed journals
• Work collaboratively with neuroscientists, microbiologists, and data scientists across departments
• Support the broader goals of the ERC project through rigorous and transparent research practice
• While prior experience with brain imaging or behavioural data is beneficial, it is not essential.

About You

We are looking for a motivated and curious researcher who enjoys working across disciplines.

You will have:

• A PhD in a relevant field such as microbiology, neuroscience, bioinformatics, systems biology, or a related discipline
• Demonstrated experience working with microbiome and/or metabolomics data
• Proficiency in analytical and programming tools such as R and/or Python
• Familiarity with multi-omics integration tools (e.g. mixOmics, MaAsLin)
• A developing publication record in a relevant research area

You will also bring strong communication skills, a collaborative mindset, and a commitment to conducting ethical, reproducible research.

Research Environment

You will join an interdisciplinary team based across:

• The Centre for Integrative Neuroscience and Neurodynamics
• The School of Psychology & Clinical Language Sciences
• The School of Food and Nutritional Sciences

The host laboratory has a strong international reputation for research on individual differences in brain and behaviour, with a particular interest in autism and neurodiversity.

Equality, Inclusion and Flexibility

The University of Reading is committed to fostering an inclusive working environment and welcomes applications from candidates of all backgrounds. We support:

• Flexible working arrangements
• Job-share and part-time options (subject to role requirements)
• Secondment opportunities for existing University staff

We are proud supporters of Athena SWAN, the Race Equality Charter, and LGBTQ+ inclusion, and we are a Disability Confident Employer (Level 2).

Relevant UK government guidance includes:

Equality and anti-discrimination law:
https://www.gov.uk/workplace-discrimination

UK data protection and GDPR guidance:
https://www.gov.uk/data-protection

Visa Sponsorship

By reference to the applicable Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code, this role may be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route, subject to meeting Home Office requirements. Applicants are encouraged to review eligibility criteria before applying.

How to Apply

Please submit your application through the University of Reading recruitment portal. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to interview, which will include a task relevant to the role.

For informal enquiries, please contact:

Professor Bhismadev Chakrabarti
Professor of Neuroscience and Mental Health
b.chakrabarti@reading.ac.uk