Research Associate Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Job description
Salary: £33,348 to £35,308 per annum
Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits . We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.
Closing Date: 13 July 2023
The Role
We are looking for a postdoctoral research scientist to join the Newcastle Liver Research Group within the Translational and Clinical Research Institute, under the guidance of Professors Quentin Anstee and Ann Daly. You will pursue a project studying the mechanistic drivers of progression of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) to cirrhosis and chronic liver failure as part of a new international research consortium. Through this research, we aim to identify new biomarkers of disease severity and novel therapeutic approaches for the treatment of advanced liver disease and related disorders.
Using blood and tissue samples from a large, well phenotyped longitudinal patient cohort, you will use state-of-the art technologies to deeply characterise the underlying pathophysiological processes in advanced liver disease. You will investigate how dynamic, temporal changes in the transcriptome and proteome influence evolution of the inflammatory/fibrotic microenvironment within the liver and systemically, and how these impact on long-term disease outcomes and survival.
Candidates with a background in genetics, transcriptomics, molecular cell biology and/or bioinformatics are particularly encouraged to apply.
Scientific Background and challenge. Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) is a common condition, strongly associated with the Metabolic Syndrome. NAFLD prevalence has increased dramatically in concert with the rapidly progressing epidemics of both adult and childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes. This condition often progresses into liver inflammation (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, NASH), leading to fibrosis and then on to cirrhosis and liver cancer, with associated high mortality. NAFLD is characterised by substantial inter-patient variability in severity, rate of progression liver disease, and outcomes – the cause for which remains incompletely understood. The problem of predicting which patients will progress to cirrhosis or experience liver failure, and how quickly, is therefore both complex and relevant.
The post is offered on a fixed term basis for a period of 3 years.
For informal enquiries contact: Professors Quentin Anstee [email protected] or Ann Daly [email protected]
Find out more about the Faculty of Medical Sciences here: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/
Find out more about our Research Institutes here.
As part of our commitment to career development for research colleagues, the University has developed 3 levels of research role profiles . These profiles set out firstly the generic competences and responsibilities expected of role holders at each level and secondly the general qualifications and experiences needed for entry at a particular level.
Key Accountabilities
Although working under the general guidance of an academic or Principal Investigator, you will contribute ideas, including enhancements to the technical or methodological aspects of their studies, thus providing substantial 'added value'
Develop and carry out the specified project using appropriate techniques and equipment as outlined in the personal requirements
Determine appropriate methodologies for research, with advice and support where required
Contribute to grant applications submitted by others and in time develop own research objectives and proposals for funding
Begin to write, with appropriate support, proposals for individual research funding or, where funders do not permit this, contribute to the writing of collective bids
Assess research findings for the need/scope for further investigations
Contribute to the writing up of your research for publication and dissemination, either through seminar and conference presentations or through publications
Present research findings, either at conferences or through publications in reputable outlets appropriate to the discipline
May be involved in the supervision, with guidance, of final year undergraduate research projects and in providing support to postgraduate research students or Research Assistants
To work with support staff and, on occasions, with undergraduate and postgraduate students, and interact intellectually with other academic members of the Institute
May contribute to events celebrating the public engagement of science/social sciences/humanities
Develop an awareness of University structures, policies and procedures and relevant issues in the higher education, research, social and political environment
To deliver high impact research on the molecular biology of NAFLD/NASH and project milestones
DNA and RNA isolation from biopsy and blood samples
To be responsible for day-to-day management of experimental work involving biochemical, molecular and in vitro (cell culture) studies
To be responsible for collection, processing, analysis, presentation (writing, graph production, image production and oral presentations at national/international conferences or consortium progress meetings) and storage of experimental data
To operate as a team member aiding other members of the research group in their experimental work as and when required
The Person (Essential)
Knowledge, Skills and Experience
Ability to work well as part of a team and rapidly acquire new skills
Detailed subject knowledge and technically highly skilled in molecular and cell biology laboratory techniques (for example, DNA and RNA isolation from biopsy and blood samples, transcriptomics, cell culture)
Likelihood of advanced skills directly related to the research projects
High level of analytical and problem-solving capability
Ability to communicate complex information with clarity and to encourage the commitment of others
Experience of research with clear transferable skills and some experience or awareness of the research environment
Presentations at conferences and/or high-quality publications
Basic skills in data collection, processing and presentation
Able to design, execute, interpret and present complex experiments
Detailed knowledge or experience of fatty liver disease and fibrosis (Desirable)
Experience with transcriptomics (RNA sequencing and/or quantitative PCR analysis) and single-cell RNA sequencing (Desirable)
Experience with computational biology, bioinformatics software packages and databases (Desirable)
Basic skills in histology/immunohistochemistry (Desirable)
Attributes and Behaviour
Highly motivated and driven individual interested in developing a career in academic research and having a clear understanding of the demands of modern biomedical research in a world leading laboratory
Able to work independently but motivated to contribute to the overall research team and develop collaborative interactions with colleagues in the lab
Good communication skills and ability to work collaboratively with researchers in academia and industry worldwide
Qualifications
A PhD ideally in biochemistry, molecular or cell biology
Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.
We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society. We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.
At Newcastle University we hold a silver Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality. We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC.
In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe.
Requisition ID: 25633
