- Location: remote working possible, with travel to partner locations required for specific project activities, including:
- School of Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
- Food Standards Agency, London, UK
- Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Science and Research Centre, Buxton, UK
- Full-time starting salary: normally in the range £30,942 to £33,797
- Duration: full-time, 4 years fixed term contract
- Advertising closing date: 22nd March 2021
Background
We are seeking an exceptional and enthusiastic candidate to champion a new partnership in computational toxicology and chemical risk assessment between the UK Food Standards Agency (FSA), UK Health and Safety Executive’s Science and Research Centre, and the University of Birmingham. The successful applicant will contribute to the creation and translation of knowledge about the application of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) to the risk assessment of food-related chemicals, with the specific goal to improve and streamline the current risk assessment processes at the FSA.
Over a 4-year period, the post holder will undertake a range of collaborative activities at each of the three partner locations, including an extensive scoping of the applicability of computational NAMs to the FSA as well as case studies to demonstrate the computational approaches. The first case study will implement a workflow for analysing in vitro ‘omics’ toxicity data using benchmark dose modelling and physiologically-based kinetic (PBPK) modelling to derive health-based guidance values, including to investigate the uncertainties associated with such an approach. See Job Description, below, for further details of the role.
A considerable proportion of the role can involve remote working, with travel to each of the partner locations required for particular activities within the project. The successful applicant will benefit from extensive experience provided by the supervisory team across the three partners, including deep knowledge of computational NAMs through to the regulatory landscape for food-related chemicals.
Applicants should hold a first degree in (bio)chemistry, mathematics, statistics or computer science, and a PhD or equivalent experience in one of these fields applied to toxicology. They should have considerable experience in the computational analysis of omics data, and demonstrated success at championing their research speciality at a national level.
Project Partners
The University of Birmingham has a long-standing research focus on toxicology. Early ground breaking work in drug metabolism initiated this profile, which evolved into studies of the molecular mechanisms of toxicity relevant to humans and the environment. More recently, a major focus has been to develop and apply ‘omics’ analyses to provide insights into toxicity mechanisms and to help develop Adverse Outcome Pathways. We are leaders in the development and application of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) for more effective, rapid and reliable assessments of chemical safety. Our NAM research is built upon two decades of experience in Systems Toxicology that is now targeted at improving safety science with our partners in regulatory agencies and industry. Our research programme has integrated the strengths of the Schools of Biosciences, Computer Science, the Centre for Computational Biology, Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences, and the Birmingham Law School to create a unique opportunity for applying and translating Systems Toxicology to solve challenges in chemical and drug safety science. Toxicology research at the University currently attracts over £10 million from sources including the EU, NERC, BBSRC, US NIEHS, European Chemicals Agency and several companies, most recently including our leadership of a new 20M Euro H2020 grant, PrecisionTox, that identifies toxicity pathways predictive of chemically induced adverse health effects in humans and facilitates the uptake of molecular biomarkers into regulatory and industry practice. We have extensive links with bodies involved in regulation and policy, including the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC), the OECD, Defra, FSA and the Environment Agency.
The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) is an independent Government department working across England, Wales and Northern Ireland to protect public dietary health and consumers' wider interests in food. The FSA uses expertise and influence so that people can trust that the food they consume is safe and is what it says it is. Within the FSA, the Science, Evidence and Research Division (SERD) provides strategic analysis, insight and evidence across the FSA’s remit to underpin the development of policies, guidance and advice on food safety. SERD is a multi-disciplinary team of scientists, risk assessors, economists, statisticians, social scientists and operational researchers which provides high quality, timely and robust evidence. We strengthen our knowledge base using a range of external science capabilities, such as our independent Scientific Advisory Committees (independent groups of experts that advise the FSA on various aspects of food safety), by commissioning research and surveys, and engaging with academia, research councils through sponsoring PhDs and post-doctorate fellowships.
The UK Health and Safety Executive’s Science and Research Centre is the commercial arm of The Health and Safety Executive, HSE. Our commercial work delivers high quality science to meet the needs of industry and government in the UK and overseas. Our commercial customers can commission services and research using our state-of-the- art scientific laboratory in Buxton, as well as analytical expertise from other parts of HSE’s science base. The Computational Toxicology team investigates the potential for new technologies and mathematical modelling to provide a biologically-based, quantitative chemical risk assessment. This work has focused on the use of physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modelling to analyse, quantify and explain toxicological data with the ultimate aim of replacing the current slow, inefficient and expensive animal-based chemical risk assessment paradigm.
Summary of Role
- To champion the application of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) – in particular computational toxicology utilising molecular mechanistic data – for the risk assessment of food-related chemicals, creating a hub at the FSA for the interested community.
- To be a conduit for the multidirectional flow of knowledge and information between the three partners: the Food Standards Agency (FSA), University of Birmingham (UoB) and the Health and Safety Executive’s Science and Research Centre (HSE SRC).
- To deeply scope, understand and assimilate the FSA’s problem space in chemical risk assessment in order to help develop a strategy to utilise computational approaches in chemical risk assessment at the FSA, including mapping other related national and international activities.
- To understand, research and implement new computational methods and modelling approaches working with the scientists at UoB and HSE SRC to more reliably risk assess food-related chemicals, translating knowledge to the FSA.
- To undertake collaborative case studies with the FSA, HSE SRC and UoB to clearly demonstrate the value of NAMs and computational approaches, including implementing a hazard assessment workflow that integrates in vitro ‘omics’ toxicity data streams, benchmark dose modelling and physiologically-based kinetic (PBPK) modelling, and to investigate the uncertainties associated with such approaches.
- To contribute to the wider understanding of the use of NAMs in chemical risk assessment by disseminating findings from this research to national and international regulators, other government agencies, industry and the general public.
Main Duties/Responsibilities
- Deeply understand the state-of-the-art in the application of New Approach Methodologies (NAMs) in chemical risk assessment, in particular in the context of omics data streams, benchmark dose modelling and physiologically-based kinetic (PBPK) modelling, including via literature reviews, reading reports and research interviews.
- Deeply understand the applicability of NAMs to chemical risk assessment, in particular in the context of assessing the safety of food-related chemicals in the UK, including via literature reviews, reading reports and research interviews.
- Scope, understand and assimilate information on the regulation of food-related chemicals in the UK and Europe, with the assistance of the FSA supervisory team.
- Map the FSA’s problem space in chemical risk assessment and develop a strategy to utilise NAMs to improve the reliability, throughput and/or cost-effectiveness of the safety assessments of chemicals, working with the whole supervisory team.
- As part of one or more case studies, undertake extensive computational analyses of omics (and other molecular mechanistic) data streams, in particular benchmark dose modelling to derive in vitro points of departure.
- As part of one or more case studies, conduct PBPK modelling to enable quantitative in vitro to in vivo extrapolation (QIVIVE) of chemicals, enabling the in vitro molecular points of departure to be extrapolated to in vivo health-based guidance values.
- Document assimilated information and results, from the desk based scoping work and the computational analyses, into well-structured, rigorous scientific reports.
- Disseminate research findings via internal reports, journal publications and website(s), and via posters and seminars at national and international meetings in order to contribute to the wider understanding and uptake of NAMs in chemical risk assessment.
- Train and assist other scientists in understanding how NAMs can be applied in the risk assessment of food-related chemicals.
- Contribute to writing bids for research funding.
- Apply knowledge in a manner which most effectively translates state-of-the-art computational approaches to improve the quality of chemical risk assessment.
- Deal with problems that may affect the achievement of the research objectives and deadlines.
- Promote equality and values diversity acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture.
- Contribute to the planning and organising of the research programme with the supervisory team at UoB, FSA and the HSE SRC.
Person Specification
- First degree in (bio)chemistry, mathematics, statistics or computer science, and a PhD or equivalent experience in one of these fields applied to toxicology.
- High level of experience in the computational analysis of transcriptomics, metabolomics and/or molecular mechanistic toxicity data.
- Familiarity with mathematical modelling approaches and ability to conduct modelling in the context of molecular toxicology.
- Familiarity with approaches and methods for assessing the safety of chemicals to human and environmental health, and familiarity with Adverse Outcome Pathways (AOPs).
- Familiarity with regulations governing the safety of chemicals to human health.
- High level analytical capability.
- Hands-on skills in bioinformatics, data science or data analytics.
- Experience in computer programming (e.g. R-language).
- Excellent ability to communicate complex information clearly.
- Excellent ability to work within a diverse team.
- Well organised and experience in managing multiple projects simultaneously.
- A high level of accuracy and attention to detail.
- Ability to work on own initiative, manage time effectively, progress tasks concurrently and work to deadlines, including the ability to work remotely.
- Ability to assess resource requirements and use resources effectively, including extensive use of remote resources.
Please make an application via the University of Birmingham jobs website: bham.taleo.net/careersection/external/jobdetail.ftl?job=21000074