Research Fellow-Antibody Glycosylation in Malaria

Job no: 0061477
Location: Parkville
Role type: Full-time; Fixed-term for 12 months
Faculty: Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences
Department/School: Department of Infectious Diseases, Melbourne Medical School
Salary: Level A – $101,460 - $108,906 pa (pro rata for part-time) p.a. plus 17% super

• Contribute to groundbreaking research on malaria immunity and viral infections with a dynamic team of experts.
• Unique opportunity for professional growth and development in a supportive and collaborative infectious disease research environment.
• Salary packaging, subsidised health and wellbeing services, fitness and cultural clubs, Myki discounts, and a 25% discount on graduate courses to our staff and their immediate families!

About the Role
Join our dynamic team at the Department of Infectious Diseases, based at the prestigious Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity. We're excited to offer an unparalleled opportunity for an accomplished Post Doctoral Scientist to contribute to a cutting-edge NHMRC-funded project, focusing on characterising antigen-specific antibody glycosylation in clinical samples from pregnant women and young children exposed to Plasmodium falciparum malaria infection. Under the guidance of Prof Stephen Rogerson, A/Prof Nichollas Scott and Dr Elizabeth Aitken, you'll be at the forefront of developing techniques to unravel the mysteries of afucosylated antibodies and their interactions with human leukocytes, shedding light on immunity to malaria and potentially informing our understanding of viral infections like SARS-CoV2, influenza, and dengue.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Establish and optimise a mass spectrometry workflow to perform targeted analysis of glycosylation of antibody from human plasma samples.
• Quantification of post-translational modifications (glycosylation) of human antibodies using MS analysis software including Skyline and MSfragger.
• Optimise a pipeline for the purification, elution and analysis of antigen-specific antibodies.

Who We Are Looking For
You demonstrate excellent scientific writing, strong oral communication, and outstanding organisational skills, maintaining diligent data records. Motivated by the opportunity to contribute to groundbreaking research.

You will also have:

• Applicants should possess a Ph.D. degree with a strong background in mass spectrometry based proteomics. 
• Proficiency with proteomic analysis software packages such as Byonic, MSFragger, Maxquant or Skyline. 
• Ability to contribute effectively as a team member, but have the independence to plan, organise and conduct experiments with minimal supervision. 

For further information regarding responsibilities and requirements, please refer to the attached PD.

Please note: Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. This role requires current valid work rights for Australia.

Your New Team – Department of Infectious Diseases
The Department of Infectious Diseases at the Peter Doherty Institute conducts impactful research on global health challenges, including antimicrobial resistance, HIV, tuberculosis, and emerging infectious diseases. Join our collaborative team of diverse researchers, make a difference in patient outcomes, and contribute to shaping public health policies. Together, we strive for excellence, innovation, and integrity in advancing our understanding and combatting infectious diseases.

What We Offer You!
In addition, we offer the opportunity to be part of a vibrant community and enjoy a range of benefits, including generous leave provisions, salary packaging, health and well-being services and discounts on graduate courses. For more information, check out our benefits  page!

About the University of Melbourne
We’re tightly connected with the community, both at home and abroad. We take pride in our people, who all contribute to our mission to benefit society through the transformative impact of education and research. Discover more via our website  and stay connected with our stories and people on LinkedIn .   

Be Yourself
The University of Melbourne values the unique backgrounds, experiences and contributions that each person brings to our community and welcomes and celebrates diversity.  First Nations people, those identifying as LGBTQIA+, parents, carers, people of all ages, abilities and genders, and people of diverse ethnicity, nationality and faith are encouraged to apply. Our aim is to create a workforce that reflects the diversity of the community in which we live. For more information please visit our Diversity and Inclusion page.

We are dedicated to ensuring barrier free and inclusive practices to recruit the most talented candidates. If you require reasonable adjustments, please contact Kim Groizard at [email protected] , with an email containing your name and contact details for a confidential discussion. Please ensure your email is titled "Reasonable Adjustments Request".

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Applicants
We aspire to be the University of choice for Indigenous Australians, with unprecedented investment to attract, nurture and retain Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and staff. Tangible support through a range of programs and initiatives will ensure that you personally succeed and flourish while at the University of Melbourne.

For further information, including our 2023-2027 Indigenous strategy please visit -https://about.unimelb.edu.au/reconciliation/murmuk-djerring

Join Us!
If you feel this role is right for you, please apply with the following documents: 

• Resume
• Cover Letter outlining your interest and experience
• The responses against the Selection Criteria^ (found in the Position Description)

^For information to help you with compiling short statements to answer the selection criteria and competencies, please go to http://about.unimelb.edu.au/careers/selection-criteria

If you have any questions regarding the recruitment process, please feel free to contact Tara via email at [email protected] , ensuring that you include the Position Number and the Job Title as the subject. Please do not share your application to this email address.

If you have any particular questions regarding the job please follow the details listed on the Position Description.

Position Description