Research Associate

We are offering an exciting opportunity for an experienced and innovative immunologist to lead a comprehensive research program to characterise the cellular immune profile of individuals recently exposed to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb).

This work is part of the “Immune Mechanisms of Protection Against Mycobacterium tuberculosis (IMPAc-TB)” study, a seven-year NIH-funded collaboration between Harvard University and the NIHR HPRU in Respiratory Infections/TB Research Centre at Imperial College London. The post-holder will collaborate locally and internationally with world leaders in TB research and apply cutting-edge techniques in systems immunology to human cohorts that are representative of elite immunological control following Mtb exposure.

The overall aim of the project is to identify common determinants of protection from infection or disease that can be translated into improved vaccine strategies. As part of this aim, recent close contacts of clinically confirmed pulmonary TB cases are currently being recruited, and various biological samples collected longitudinally. The post-holder will use a broad suite of immunological techniques, in partnership with world leading international collaborators, to identify immunological signatures that associate with resistance to infection as well as effective control of infection.

You will be required to isolate peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), serum and RNA from blood samples, elute proteins and isolate RNA from nasal lining fluid samples, and isolate cells and fluid from bronchoalveolar lavage samples. Using these samples, you will have the opportunity to perform assays to characterise both local and systemic immune responses to mTB exposure. These assays include high dimensional flow cytometry of peptide-stimulated and unstimulated PBMC and BAL cells, and transcriptomic analysis of blood, nasal lining fluid and BAL cells. There will also be the opportunity to utilise samples in single cell RNAseq and systems serology assays based on the pioneering work of IMPAcTB collaborators Profs. Shalek and Alter respectively. You will also be expected to contribute to the management of a research technician.

You will be expected to engage in discussions on other research being performed within the NIHR HPRU in Respiratory Infection and TB Research Centre (on other respiratory infections, including influenza and RSV) and may have the opportunity to be involved in other research projects. They will be expected to write up and submit publications to high-impact refereed journals and to attract external research funding.

• Research Associate: Hold a PhD (or equivalent) in Immunology or medical statistics or a closely related discipline


• Research Assistant: Near completion of a PhD (or equivalent) in Immunology or medical statistics or a closely related discipline


• Significant and demonstrable technical expertise in carrying out, designing, planning, and leading high quality original research


• Strong experience in high-dimensional flow-cytometry


• Experience in the isolation of PBMCs and primary human cell culture


• Experience in handling/biobanking of clinical samples, and trained in/aware of working to good clinical practice (GCP) in relation to clinical research studies

This is a Full Time and Fixed Term post for initially till the 31st March 2023 based at the St. Mary’s Campus, London.

Candidates who have not yet been officially awarded their PhD will be appointed as a Research Assistant within the salary range £36,694 - £39,888 per annum.

Informal enquiries can be emailed to Prof Ajit Lalvani at [email protected]

The College is a proud signatory to the San-Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA),which means that in hiring and promotion decisions, we evaluate applicants on the quality of their work, not the journal impact factor where it is published. For more information, see: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/research-and-innovation/about-imperial-research/research-evaluation/

The College believes that the use of animals in research is vital to improve human and animal health and welfare. Animals may only be used in research programmes where their use is shown to be necessary for developing new treatments and making medical advances. Imperial is committed to ensuring that, in cases where this research is deemed essential, all animals in the College’s care are treated with full respect, and that all staff involved with this work show due consideration at every level. http://www.imperial.ac.uk/research-and-innovation/about-imperial-research/research-integrity/animal-research /