Postdoctoral Research Associate in Stem Cell Neurobiology and Genetic Engineering for Brain Cancer

Grade 7, Starting Salary: £34,304

3 years Fixed Term

Keele University is renowned for its exciting approach to higher education, innovative research, beautiful campus, strong community spirit and excellent student experience.  With a turnover in excess of £170 million, over 10,000 students and a total staff of approximately 2000, the University provides high quality teaching across a wide range of academic and vocational subjects and promotes world-class research.  Further information can be found at http://www.keele.ac.uk .

This post represents an exciting opportunity to join Keele University’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, which has enjoyed significant success, especially in the recent REF2021, with Keele now seen as a major international centre for clinical and translational studies into musculoskeletal disorders, primary care and regenerative medicine.

We are seeking an ambitious and self-motivated postdoctoral researcher to join our multi-disciplinary team within the Human Stem Cell Engineering group in the School of Pharmacy & Bioengineering, under Dr. Vinoj George (Lecturer in Stem Cell Biology & Regenerative Medicine). The post aligns with a recently awarded Humane Research Trust project grant embracing cross-disciplinary technology (gene engineering and advanced molecular neuro-oncology) to study the molecular and cellular mechanisms associated with a common malignant paediatric brain tumour called ependymoma. The work will entail endogenous modulation of the most common oncogenic event in ependymoma, ZFTA-RELA using hiPSC-derived neural cell models and optogenetic CRISPR. The project will be based at the Guy Hilton Research Centre, Hartshill campus and will be in collaboration with the Neural Tissue Engineering group in Keele (led by Professor Divya Maitreyi Chari, Professor of Neural Tissue Engineering) and the Children’s Brain Tumour Research Centre in University of Nottingham (led by Dr. Ruman Rahman, Associate Professor of Molecular Neuro-Oncology).

Candidates should ideally hold a PhD in a relevant biological discipline and should be passionate about interdisciplinary research with a strong interest in new technology development. You will be creating novel cell models at the interface of different fields for translational applications, so while a strong background in molecular and cellular biology, and genetics is essential, candidate with a diverse and wide-ranging set of skills in cell biology that complement our team is desirable. There will be opportunities for dedicated bioinformatics training. A track record of effective communication, teamwork and successful project management, including publication or dissemination of scientific results is essential.

Please note that the starting salary will typically be at the bottom of the pay scale shown above.

The University is committed to operating flexible working practices wherever possible.

Keele University values equality and diversity across our workforce and to ensuring our staff community is reflective of the diversity of our student population. In support of these commitments the University welcomes applications from individuals of Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds for all roles.

Please note this appointment is subject to medical clearance by the University’s Occupational Health provider.

For full post details and to find out more about working at Keele please visit www.keele.ac.uk/vacancies .

For informal enquiries, please contact Dr. Vinoj George at [email protected]

Closing Date: 28th September 2022

Interviews will be held on: 7th October 2022