Research Associate

In this post you will work on an exciting research project investigating neutrophil heterogeneity in ANCA associated vasculitis (AAV). AAV are a group of systemic autoimmune diseases in which neutrophils are both target of the autoantibody and mediators of vascular injury. Neutrophils are classically thought to be a homogenous short-lived population with limited transcriptional activity. However recent studies have led to increasing appreciation of neutrophil heterogeneity in health and disease, including the presence of low-density granulocyte, first described in SLE and since recognised in several inflammatory and immune conditions, including AAV. The aim of our research is to understand how functional and biophysical differences in neutrophil subsets contribute to disease pathogenesis and differing clinical phenotypes, organ tropism, and treatment response in AAV.

We are seeking a candidate with strong immunological interest and knowledge and experience in experimental immunology. We expect you to be able to plan and perform in vitro cultures and stimulation experiments using human blood samples and perform flow cytometry and scRNA-sequencing experiments. Prior experience of bioinformatics and computational biology would be advantageous.

To join our lab you should be a highly motivated and enthusiastic candidate. You should hold a PhD in immunology or other relevant disciplines. You will be joining a collaborative research environment with several other basic and translational immunology research groups. We expect that you will have strong organisational and communication skills, as well as the ability to work independently and as part of a team.

Duties and responsibilities

You will take initiative in the planning and execution of your research with appropriate supervision and will be responsible for independently running experiments and day-to-day project management and development. The project will involve a high degree of teamwork, interdisciplinary research, and flexibility in developing and managing complex experimental protocols and data sets.

Essential requirements

• You should hold a PhD in immunology, or a related field. Previous experience with flow or mass cytometry and molecular biology is essential.


• Knowledge of cellular immunology, in particular neutrophil biology and autoimmune diseases.


• Knowledge of research methods and data/statistical analysis.


• Practical experience within a research environment and / or publication in relevant and refereed journals.


• Practical experience in a broad range of techniques including cellular immunology, molecular biology, cell culture.


• Experience of molecular biology techniques such as RNA sequencing or RT-qPCR.


• Ability to direct the work of a small research team and motivate others to produce a high standard of work.

Further information

This is a full-time, fixed-term contract for 2 years, with the possibility of extension. The position is funded by an MRC Clinican Scientist Fellowship.

Informal enquiries can be made to Maria Prendecki (m.prendecki@imperial.ac.uk)

Candidates who have not yet been officially awarded their PhD will be appointed as a Research Assistant within the salary range £38,194 - £41,388 per annum.

As this post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, at the appropriate level, will be required for the successful candidate.

Further information about the DBS disclosure process can be found at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/agencies-public-bodies/dbs/ or by telephoning 03000 200 190. You may also wish to view the College’s DBS webpage for policy statements on the Recruitment and Employment of Ex-Offenders and the Secure Storage, Use, Retention & Disposal of Disclosures and Disclosure Information.

The College is a proud signatory to the San-Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA), which means that in hiring and promotion decisions, we evaluate applicants on the quality of their work, not the journal impact factor where it is published. For more information, see https://www.imperial.ac.uk/research-and-innovation/about-imperial-research/research-evaluation/

The College believes that the use of animals in research is vital to improve human and animal health and welfare. Animals may only be used in research programmes where their use is shown to be necessary for developing new treatments and making medical advances. Imperial is committed to ensuring that, in cases where this research is deemed essential, all animals in the College’s care are treated with full respect, and that all staff involved with this work show due consideration at every level.

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/research-and-innovation/about-imperial-research/research-integrity/animal-research/

Imperial College is committed to equality of opportunity, to eliminating discrimination and to creating an inclusive working environment. We are an Athena SWAN Silver award winner, a Stonewall Diversity Champion, a Disability Confident Employer and work in partnership with GIRES to promote respect for trans people.

Documents

• JD Research Associate SR.pdf