Postdoctoral Research Associates

Faculty of Health and Life Sciences

The Faculty wishes to recruit two Postdoctoral Research Associates to support the work of Professor M. Albert Basson.

Both are full-time fixed-term positions based from the Exeter Streatham campus. Please read below for the role differences. Please express a preference between the roles in your application.

These posts are foreseen to run until 2027, however NIH funding is allocated on an annual basis and therefore, beyond the first year, the post is subject to future annual funding being agreed/awarded.

The post - P91986

This NIH and MRC/NIHR funded post is available on a fixed-term basis from 1st August 2024-31st January 2027. The successful applicant will investigate a number of rare chromatin disorders that are hypothesised to share a common epigenetic aetiology. The prototypical disorder to be studied is CHARGE syndrome, a rare genetic disorder caused by haploinsufficiency of the chromatin remodeller CHD7. The aims of this project are to 1) identify the key changes in chromatin state and associated cell type specific transcriptional alterations in cells in the prefrontal cortex of mouse models of this disorder, 2) compare these changes with other related conditions and 3) determine the impact of treating mice with a pharmaceutical compound that targets these mechanisms and compare the effects between models.

The PDRA will be part of a multi-disciplinary, international team, consisting of other PDRAs and postgraduate students with complementary expertise in mouse genetics, developmental neurobiology, neurophysiology, behaviour and cell biology based at Exeter, Manchester, Oxford, Cambridge, King’s College London, the University of Michigan and industrial partner, ORYZON.

The post will involve the optimisation and successful application of a range of next generation sequencing (NGS) approaches that include ChIP-seq, CUT&RUN-seq, 4C-seq, ATAC-seq, RNA-seq and single cell multiomic approaches on mouse frontal cortex tissue (provided by another PDRA in the team).

The PDRA will provide the necessary expertise to lead and provide all expertise in NGS experiments for the team based at Exeter and establish collaborations with other epigenomic groups at Exeter and beyond.The PDRA will work closely with other PDRAs in the team that 1) maintain, study and supply mouse models and tissues, 2) study circuit abnormalities and 3) behaviour in these models.

At Exeter, the PDRA will specifically benefit from world-leading expertise in epigenomics, genomics and a state-of-the-art genome sequencing facility.

About you – P91986

The successful applicant will be able to present information on research progress and outcomes, communicate complex information, orally, in writing and electronically and prepare proposals and applications to external bodies.

Applicants will possess a relevant PhD (or be nearing completion) or possess an equivalent qualification/experience in a related field of study and be able to demonstrate sufficient knowledge in the discipline and of research methods and techniques to work within established research programmes. Applicants will be able to develop, optimise and implement a range of epigenomic and related next generation sequencing techniques as described above, and analyse the data using bioinformatic approaches. Opportunities to apply other approaches such as spatial transcriptomics (if necessary), molecular analysis such as qPCR, Western blot, and collaborate effectively with others in the team to develop new research avenues will be provided.

The post – P91985

This NIH funded post is available on a fixed-term basis from 1st July 2024-30th June 2027. The successful applicant will investigate the function of the chromatin remodelling factor CHD7 in development and function of the mammalian neocortex. Haploinsufficiency of CHD7 is the main cause of the rare condition, CHARGE syndrome. The PDRA will be part of a multi-disciplinary, international team, consisting of other PDRAs and postgraduate students with complementary expertise in epigenomics, neurophysiology, behaviour and cell biology based at Exeter, King’s College London and the University of Michigan.

The post will include the analysis of key processes in development of the neocortex, including anterior-posterior patterning, cell specification and integration in the cortical circuitry. Mouse models include a Chd7 haploinsufficient mouse model of CHARGE syndrome, alone or in combination with mutations in putative CHD7 target genes, and conditional Chd7 gene deletion mutants with Chd7 deleted from specific cell types. The PDRA will provide the necessary expertise to lead and provide all expertise in experiments that involve or require these mouse models for the team based at Exeter. During the analysis of neurodevelopment, the PDRA will work closely with other PDRAs in the team to 1) identify the molecular mechanisms underlying developmental anomalies, 2) understand how these abnormalities lead to circuit abnormalities and 3) characterise these mouse models using appropriate behavioural tests.

About you – P91985

The successful applicant will be able to present information on research progress and outcomes, communicate complex information, orally, in writing and electronically and prepare proposals and applications to external bodies.

Applicants will possess a relevant PhD (or be nearing completion) or possess an equivalent qualification/experience in a related field of study and be able to demonstrate sufficient knowledge in the discipline and of research methods and techniques to work within established research programmes. Applicants will be able to manage and maintain a mouse colony as described above, apply potential drug treatments, perform basic behavioural characterisations, perform a careful analysis of neurodevelopment using standard approaches such as in situ hybridisation and immunostaining, and more advanced approaches such as spatial transcriptomics (if necessary), molecular analysis such as qPCR, Western blot, and collaborate effectively with others to perform next generation sequencing experiments to study epigenomic and transcriptomic mechanisms.

Please ensure you read the Job Descriptions attached to this advert.

What we can offer you

• Freedom (and the support) to pursue your intellectual interests and to work creatively across disciplines to produce internationally exciting research;
• Support teams that understand the University wide research and teaching goals and partner with our academics accordingly
• An Innovation, Impact and Business directorate that works closely with our academics providing specialist support for external engagement and development
• Our Exeter Academic initiative supporting high performing academics to achieve their potential and develop their career

• A beautiful campus set in the heart of stunning Devon

The University of Exeter

We are a member of the prestigious Russell Group of research-intensive universities and in the top 200 universities in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024 and QS World University Ranking 2024).  We combine world-class teaching with world-class research, achieving a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework Award 2023, underpinned by Gold ratings for Student Experience and Student Outcomes.

Our world-leading research impact has grown more than any other Russell Group university in recent years, and we are home to some of the world’s most influential researchers, seeking to answer some of the most fundamental issues facing humankind today.  More than 99% of our research is of international quality and 47% is world-leading (2021 Research Excellence Framework).

We encourage proactive engagement with industry, business and community partners to enhance the impact of research and education and improve the employability of our students. Read about our world leading research – Green Futures and how we are transforming education for a changing world. We are located in a beautiful part of the country and Exeter (a fast growing tech hub) is one of only a few UK cities to have been designated as a UNESCO Creative City

Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commitment

We are committed to ensuring reasonable adjustments are available for interviews and workplaces.

Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented within our working community. 

With over 30,000 students and 7,000 staff from 150 different countries we offer a diverse and engaging environment where our diversity is celebrated and valued as a major strength. We are committed to creating an inclusive culture where all members of our community are supported to thrive; where diverse voices are heard through our engagement with evidence-based charter frameworks for gender (Athena SWAN and Project Juno for Physics), race equality (Race Equality Charter Mark), LGBTQ+ inclusion (Stonewall Diversity Champion) and as a Disability Confident employer.

For further information please contact Professor M. Albert Basson, e-mail [email protected].

The closing date for completed applications is Thursday 28th March 2024.  Interviews are expected to take place on 15th /16th April.