Research Associate (Balasubramanian Group) (Fixed Term)

We seek to appoint a postdoctoral scientist to advance the application of DNA secondary structure and epigenetic features in the early detection of cancer. This post is funded by a new award from Cancer Research UK and is a collaboration between Professor Sir Shankar Balasubramanian at Cancer Research UK's Cambridge Institute (CI) and Professor Rebecca Fitzgerald in the University of Cambridge's Early Cancer Institute. The post will be based in Cancer Research UK's Cambridge Institute (CI) and has close links to Professor Balasubramanian's group based in the University's Yusuf Hamied Department of Chemistry.

Oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC) has a poor prognosis and low 5-year survival. OAC arises from an early pre-cancerous condition called Barrett's oesophagus (BO). We aim to identify novel genomic features of BO that aid in the stratification of indolent vs progressive disease to enable early intervention. The post holder will establish robust methods to characterise four-stranded nucleic acid structures, called G-quadruplexes, and/or chemically modified DNA bases, such as 5-hydroxymethylcytosine, during OAC development. We also expect that our findings will also shed light on potential novel therapeutic avenues.

The candidate will demonstrate a strong aptitude to innovate at the bench, a proactive approach to tackle technical challenges and creativity in using molecular and cellular strategies to address our aims. The ideal candidate will have substantial hands-on experience in cutting edge molecular biology and genomic technologies such as ChIP-seq, CUT&Tag, RNA-seq etc. Practical experience in organoid culture and processing would be beneficial. Due the collaborative nature of this project, good communication skills and the ability to work well in a multi-disciplinary team are essential. This project provides an opportunity for an outstanding individual to make a key contribution to the early detection of cancer though a fundamental understanding of genome structure and function.

Candidates should have (or be about to receive) a PhD in a relevant discipline. See https://www.balasubramanian.co.uk for further information.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 2 years in the first instance.

Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a security check.

Applications are welcome from internal candidates who would like to apply for the role on the basis of a secondment from their current role in the University.

We welcome applications from individuals who wish to be considered for part-time working or other flexible working arrangements.

We particularly welcome applications from women and /or candidates from a BME background for this vacancy as they are currently under-represented at this level in our department/institution/Faculty/School/University.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Please ensure that you upload a 2-page Curriculum Vitae (CV), a covering letter and publications list in the Upload section of the online application. If you upload any additional documents that have not been requested, we will not be able to consider these as part of your application.

For queries regarding this post, please contact Jo Lockhart, Science Administrator, Balasubramanian Group, email: [email protected] .

Please quote reference SW39737 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

Further information
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