Research Associate/Fellow (Fixed term)

Reference: MED225621

Closing Date: Tuesday, 12th October 2021

Job Type: Research

Department: Medicine

Salary: £27511 to £40322 per annum (pro rata if applicable) depending on skills and experience (minimum £30942 with relevant PhD). Salary progression beyond this scale is subject to performance

A position is open for a talented, proactive postdoctoral researcher to work on an exciting project funded by Animal Free Research UK. The project will use human induced pluripotent stem cells differentiated into cardiovascular lineages (cardiomyocytes, cardiac fibroblasts and cardiac endothelial cells) to address fibrosis. Indeed, too much growth of fibrotic cells is linked to half of all diseases in the developed world and often relies on animals models, which show poor representation to the human condition

This post will be based in Nottingham but will collaborate extensively with academic colleagues in Birmingham and East Anglia, and industrialists at AstraZeneca and GlaxoSmithKline. The project will ask: 1) Can cardiac fibroblast behaviour be controlled? 2) How do cardiac fibroblasts affect cardiomyocyte function? 3) How are behaviours changed when cells carry mutations that affect heart function, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy? 4) Are there benefits from putative anti-fibrotic drugs?

The successful candidate for this post will be nearing completion, or will have completed, a PhD in the biological sciences or equivalent. They will combine excellence in research, collaboration, communication and meeting deadlines with a ‘can-do’ positive, solution-focussed attitude. The skillsets the candidate will have or will learn quickly will include the ability to culture human pluripotent stem cells and direct their differentiation to cardiovascular lineages. The candidate will have or will gain advanced skills in functional analysis. As examples, immunostaining, flow cytometry, qPCR etc, supported by confocal microscopy and macro writing; formation of mono-cultures or co-cultures in 2D and 3D, including engineered heart tissue for phenotypic analysis; use of phenotyping approaches, ranging from DNA or RNA analyses or western blot, through to functional assays such as metabolism, cAMP, viability, electrophysiology, calcium flux and contractility. These assays will be used to evaluate the impact of genetic and/or drug challenge to quantify responses. 

Full details are in the job specification.

This full time (36.25 hour) post will be offered on a fixed-term contract until 1st April 2024, with a start date of approximately 1st  November 2021. Job share arrangements may be considered.

Informal enquiries may be addressed to Chris Denning, tel: +44 (0) 115 82 31236 or email [email protected] .
Please note that applications sent directly to this email address will not be accepted.

Our University has always been a supportive, inclusive, caring and positive community. We warmly welcome those of different cultures, ethnicities and beliefs – indeed this very diversity is vital to our success, it is fundamental to our values and enriches life on campus. We welcome applications from UK, Europe and from across the globe. For more information on the support we offer our international colleagues, see our Moving to Nottingham pages.

For successful international applicants, we provide financial support for your visa and the immigration health surcharge, plus an interest-free loan to help cover the cost of immigration-related expenses for any dependants accompanying you to the UK. For more information please see the our webpage on Financial support for visas and the immigration health surcharge .