<!--anchor--> <!--anchor--> Director of UK Dementia Research Institute and King’s College London and van Geest Professor of Neurodegeneration Research <!--anchor-->

Kings College London is seeking an exceptional Neuroscientist (clinical or non-clinical), to be the van Geest Professor of Neurodegeneration Researchand Centre Director in theUnited Kingdom Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI). The successful applicant will be an internationally recognised leader working on disease mechanisms, preclinical studies or fully translational interventions for Neurodegenerative disorders. They will provide strategic leadership to a team of five Principal Investigators and 60 researchers based in the DRI Centre at KCL.  

The mission of the UK DRI is to revolutionise dementia discovery science by undertaking original, ground-breaking research that will transform lives. The DRI is a single fully integrated Institute of ~650 Neuroscientists, based in six different sites across the UK. We have attracted some of the brightest minds in the field and given them the best technologies to elucidate fundamental mechanisms and identify new targets for drug development. They are developing diagnostic/predictive biomarkers and new therapies in partnership with biopharma to enable early intervention and disease prevention. 

Applications are encouraged from researchers whose work is synergistic with existing strengths in the DRI @KCL including mechanistic studies focusing on defective protein folding/aggregation, RNA processing, intracellular transport and synaptic function. Our disease focus includes amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and Alzheimer’s and our translational work involves AAV and ASO gene therapies. 

The DRI laboratories are located in the newly built Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, which has state-of-the-art molecular and cell biology facilities. Due to the generosity of the van Geest Foundation we are able to offer a highly competitive salary and start-up package. Collaborative links to biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries are welcome. Ultimately, success will be measured by high impact publication output, success in attracting research funding, contribution to teaching and advancing the scientific strategy of the DRI and the university. 

The selection process will include a presentation and panel interview. For an informal discussion to find out more about the role please contact the current UK DRI Centre Director Professor Christopher Shaw: [email protected] 

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• Provide research leadership to the UK DRI at King’s group, and work with faculty and staff to develop a short- and long-term scientific strategy and a strong scientific identity for the UK DRI at King’s centre, in line with the UK DRI mission.  

• Create a stimulating environment within the UK DRI at King’s centre—one that is inclusive and diverse, fosters talent, and encourages and supports excellence.

• Determine and manage the resource requirements needed to sustain the UK DRI at King’s centre, including the staffing structure required for taking forward the programmes of research to success.

• With operational support, maintain oversight and responsibility for the recruitment, management, training and career development of group members, including line management and performance management, in accordance with the UK DRI and King’s policies and procedures.

• Organise and manage the UK DRI at King’s centre’s science, logistics, finances and personnel, and accept ultimate responsibility for the development of talent, financial management, and overall performance of the centre.

• Direct the activities of the centre by supervising some projects personally and overseeing projects delegated to other staff members. You will be expected to provide the intellectual energy and independent thinking necessary to lead and deliver a programme of cutting-edge research and to shape the overall aims and success of the centre.

• Be part of the UK DRI Directors’ Scientific Strategy and Operational Board, contributing to the overall scientific mission of the UK DRI and representing the UK DRI at King’s community.

• Work with senior King’s leadership to create an interactive, mutually supportive environment so that both can maximise benefit of co-location.

• Ensure all research within the centre is conducted in accordance with good practice and in compliance with UK DRI and King’s policies and legal requirements.

• Disseminate the research outputs from the centre by encouraging publication of results, presentations at scientific meetings and responding to media enquiries, working with King’s and UK DRI communications teams to ensure that achievements are widely publicised through all suitable media.

• Ensure the UK DRI at King’s centre contributes to the harmonious and successful running of the UK DRI and King’s and ensuring that members of the UK DRI at King’s centre do the same.

The Centre Director will set the centre’s scientific direction, vision and leadership, promoting the UK DRI’s objective of excellence in dementia research. They will also direct their own internationally competitive research programme in dementia or neurodegeneration and be a scientific leader within the UK DRI community, developing collaborative opportunities across both King’s and the wider neurodegeneration community and industry, and contributing to the overall growth of the UK DRI.

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.  

Research

• PhD, MD or equivalent.

• An understanding of the mission of the UK DRI, an interest in its research work and a strong commitment to supporting high quality research.

• Recognised at a national and international level for the high quality of dementia-relevant research by funding and other awarding bodies and the award of competitive grants.

• Strong record of publications, with emphasis on quality.

• Proven scientific leadership and productivity, with a track record of internationally competitive scientific research that you wish to apply in a UK DRI core programme.

• Proven experience of presenting and defending the results of research.

• A research proposal that demonstrably interfaces and complements the present portfolio and future science strategy of the centre and the UK DRI as a whole.

• Experience of independently planning, developing and leading successful projects or programmes of research.

• Demonstrable scientific innovation, enabling apparently intractable problems to be successfully tackled and overcome.

• Experience of having influenced knowledge or wider practice in previous research field.

• Experience in building, strengthening and sustaining successful collaborations both within the home institute and externally, influencing outcomes and/or

direction.

Leadership

• Experience leading a large research programme.

• Experience of leading a multi-PI collaborative research community (desirable).

• Experience of managing resources (funding, equipment and people).

• Experience in recruiting, training and managing PhD students and postdoctoral scientists. Experience of managing other research group leaders/professors is highly desirable.

• Experience of communicating and engaging with a wide range of stakeholders, including the press and the public.

Personal attributes

• Excellent interpersonal, social and diplomacy skills with an ability to work cooperatively in a multidisciplinary setting.

• Resourceful and able to act on own initiative.

• Ability to communicate and deal effectively and professionally (i.e., with tact, diplomacy and sensitivity) with a wide range of people at all levels in and outside the university.

• Ability to lead people within a research programme group in an inspiring manner, building them into an excellent research team.

• A collaborative and proactive mindset, with the ability to seek appropriate input and make critical and timely decisions.

• Dynamic and forward thinking in your approach to work, with strong problem-solving abilities.

• Meticulous and accurate in all aspects of work, with the ability to work in a fast-paced environment, to meet deadlines and handle stressful situations.

• Demonstrable organisational skills, with a methodical approach to workload and time management.

• Commitment to active and ongoing personal and professional development.

• Experience in identifying and capitalising on opportunities for the creation of  intellectual property and the exploitation of commercial potential; cooperating in patent protection and other mechanisms used by home institute to protect intellectual property

• Experience with translational science and interactions with clinical and commercial partners or collaborators. 

We are looking for a highly motivated candidate to join a team of world-leading Neuroscientists who are at the cutting-edge of understanding fundamental disease mechanisms and advancing the prospect of translating these therapeutically.