Salary: £31,396 - £32,982 per annum
Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits . We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.
Closing Date: 26 May 2024
The Role
We seek an enthusiastic and ambitious Research Assistant, based at the NU Center for Cancer to investigate the role of hypoxia in promoting therapy resistance in castration resistant prostate cancer. Prostate cancer (PCa) is a major global health concern, ranking as the second most common cancer in males and the fifth leading cause of male mortality. PCa progression is driven by continuous signaling through the androgen receptor (AR), causing gene expression changes and increased cell proliferation. Despite effective androgen deprivation therapies (ADT), the majority of patients will develop therapy resistance due to the emergence of alternatively spliced AR variants, leading to ligand-independent AR activity. Unfortunately, there are no curative treatments for this stage, highlighting the need for further research into resistance mechanisms.
Hypoxia (low oxygen levels) is another significant aspect of PCa linked to poor prognosis
and therapy resistance through the activation of hypoxia inducible factors (HIFs). Emerging evidence suggests crosstalk between AR and HIF signalling in PCa therapy resistance through the regulation of specific methylases and demethylases.
The project will employ a combination of cell biology techniques alongside cutting-edge proteomics and next-generation sequencing methodologies (RIME, APEX proximity labeling, RNA-sequencing, and ChIP-sequencing) to elucidate how hypoxic regulation of specific methylases and demethylases influences the progression of prostate cancer and therapy resistance. Concurrently, collaborative studies facilitated by Professor Robson and Dr. Hepburn will employ a prostate organoid model to assess the therapeutic viability of targeting methylase and demethylase activity as a therapeutic strategy for prostate cancer.
You will be based in the laboratory of Dr. Brian Ortmann.
The position is funded by the JGW Patterson Foundation and is a fixed term contract for 1 year.
To apply for this position, we will need a copy of your CV and a covering letter outlining why you are interested in this position and what skills you have that would benefit this project.
For informal enquires contact Dr Brian Ortmann [email protected]
Find out more about the Faculty of Medical Sciences here: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/
Find out more about our Research Institutes here: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/research/institutes/
As part of our commitment to career development for research colleagues, the University has developed 3 levels of research role profiles . These profiles set out firstly the generic competences and responsibilities expected of role holders at each level and secondly the general qualifications and experiences needed for entry at a particular level.
Key Accountabilities
• Contribution to the research programme of the School/Institute under the clear guidance of a member of an academic staff or Principal Investigator
• Use initiative and creativity to analyse and interpret research data and draw conclusions on the outcomes
• Co-ordinate own work with that of others, deal with problems which may affect the achievement of research objectives and contribute to the planning of the project(s)
• Present information on research progress and outcomes to a Principal Investigator or groups overseeing the research project
• Write up results from own research activity and provide input into the research project’s dissemination, in whatever form (report, papers, chapters, book)
• Work to deadlines and manage, with support, competing priorities
• Ensure that personal knowledge in relevant fields of study is kept up to
date
• Use research resources (including, where required, laboratories, workshops and specialist equipment) as appropriate
• Maintain academic standards and freedom, and work in accordance with university policies (e.g. equal opportunities, health and safety policies)
• Possible supervision and demonstration duties within undergraduate laboratories and example classes or in teaching small seminar classes
• Undertake relevant training and development activities to develop capacity for taking on wider responsibilities
• Develop, with advice, an awareness of own professional development needs and a personal development strategy
The Person
Knowledge, Skills and Experience
• Some subject knowledge in cell culture, proficiency in molecular biology techniques including western blotting, flow cytometry, and qPCR
• Experience in studying cellular mechanisms associated with therapy resistance
• Good level of analytical skills and the ability to communicate complex information clearly, both orally and through the written word
• The ability to work collaboratively with colleagues
• The ability to use personal initiative and creativity to solve research problems
Desirable
• Experience in cell biology associated with therapy resistance
Attributes and Behaviour
• Professional and collegial individual that works independently and as part of a team
• Ability to progress on weekly and longer-term objectives with support from the supervisors
• Ability to communicate clearly both in written and spoken form
Qualifications
• Good honours degree (or equivalent) with some subject knowledge in the relevant area for example in Cell Biology, Cancer Biology.
• May possess (or be working towards) a higher research degree
Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.
We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society. We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.
At Newcastle University we hold a silver Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality. We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC. We are aDisability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.
In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe.
Requisition ID: 27099