Senior Research Officer

An excellent opportunity is available for a Senior Research Officer (Mathematical Biologist) to join the Snow Centre for Immune Health at Australia's pre-eminent biomedical research institute.

About the Position

The Snow Centre for Immune Health (SCIH) has a global mission to improve the lives of people with immune diseases, using a new approach to immune health. The centre, co-led by WEHI and the Royal Melbourne Hospital, will bring together leading Australian and international researchers with a shared mission to transform how we research and treat the immune system. Our goal is to accelerate discoveries into the underlying features and markers of immune health, to identify disease causes early and target appropriate treatment. The Centre has been established in partnership with the Snow Medical Research Foundation.

We are seeking an innovative and experienced Mathematical Biologist to help design and build the mathematical models and software tools underpinning SCIH's work. Methods under development will be used to evaluate real-world data from hundreds of individuals to explore causes of immune disease. Scientists at the SCIH are developing a quantitative theory for immune cell decision making that explains cell population dynamics using statistical models and agent-based simulation. This work is providing new insights into the underlying causes of diseases of the immune system such as autoimmunity and immune deficiencies. The Centre's models and new computational tools enable researchers to investigate and measure how multiple fates, such as cell division, differentiation or death, are regulated and altered by drugs, gene changes and regulatory signals. The successful candidate will work closely with basic scientists and clinician scientists to design experiments and interpret data that may directly lead to improved patient outcomes.

Selection Criteria

Essential Knowledge and Skills:

• A PhD in an applied mathematics-based discipline such as bioinformatics, statistics, applied mathematics, physics, computer science, engineering, etc.
• An excellent academic record and achievements
• Demonstrated ability and potential for excellence and productivity in research
• Excellent attention to detail, ensuring that data, methods and theories are accurate, of high-quality and accessible to other researchers

Personal Qualities:

• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to communicate with people across disciplines
• Excellent attention to detail, ensuring that data, methods and theories are accurate, of high-quality and accessible to other researchers
• Self-motivated and opportunistic
• Excellent time management

Desirable Knowledge and Skills:

• Extensive experience in scientific language such as Python, R, Julia or Matlab
• Experience in dynamic model building, preferably in a biological area.
• Knowledge of cell biology and/or immunology
• Experience in high performance computing for simulation and data analysis
• Knowledge of numerical methods

Terms of appointment

This position is for two years in a full-time capacity. Salary is Research Employee (RE) Level B depending on experience ($117,596 - $139,636). Up to 17% superannuation and very attractive salary packaging options are available.

General enquiries can be directed to Prof Phil Hodgkin -

A position description is available here.

How to apply

Please apply by uploading your CV, cover letter and a document addressing the key selection criteria in the job ad (in pdf format).

Application Closing Date: Friday 28 November 2025

WEHI - Brighter together

WEHI is where the world's brightest minds collaborate and innovate to make discoveries that will help us to live healthier for longer. Our medical researchers have been serving the community for more than 100 years. We bring together people with different skills and experience who are committed to long-term discovery. Our teams of researchers are committed to solving the most complex health problems, making transformative discoveries for cancer, infectious and immune diseases, developmental disorders and healthy ageing.

WEHI is a place where people are able to shine. People who are inquisitive, who are committed, who are passionate. People who want to make a difference. And we are committed to ensuring they have the tools to flourish, personally and professionally. We are a community of researchers, students and professional service staff who work towards achieving discoveries that improve human health. We are driven by collaboration, curiosity and creativity. We are committed to making a positive difference to the lives of people in Australia and around the world. We are WEHI. We are brighter together.

WEHI's commitment to diversity and inclusion

At WEHI we strive to foster a flexible working environment that encourages individual differences and promotes collaboration and creativity. We recognise that talent does not sit within a single identifiable group in our society and that WEHI's ability to shape contemporary scientific thinking and deliver leading professional services relies on a diversity of thought within our organisation. Our action to promote gender equality has been recognised with an Athena SWAN Bronze Award from Science in Australia Gender Equity (SAGE) and we offer a range of support for women researchers.

Our commitment to celebrating diversity and addressing inequities is further demonstrated through our Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, Gender Action Plan, Reconciliation Action Plan and our WE-Pride network for LGBTQIA+ staff and students. We actively encourage applications from, people with a disability, culturally, religiously and linguistically diverse people and people with diverse genders and sexualities. Should you require support during the recruitment process due to special needs or consideration, please contact the People and Culture team.

WEHI's commitment to Indigenous employment

WEHI is working to create a future where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples will be engaged at the scientific frontier, making exciting discoveries and decisions about the future of health in this country, and part of a leading professional services workforce supporting the realisation of these discoveries. We are committed to creating a culturally safe workplace and offering career development and leadership opportunities to First Nations staff and students. We strongly encourage any Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to apply.