Research Assistant (Burns Lab)

UCL Eastman Dental Institute; London; On-site; GBP 32,000 - 48,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading dental institute is seeking a motivated scientist for a 1-year project focused on developing diagnostic tests for Systemic Autoinflammatory Disorders. This role offers an opportunity to contribute to improving patient diagnosis and management by establishing robust laboratory assays in a clinical context.

Benefits

41 days holiday (27 days annual leave, 8 bank holidays, 6 closure days)

Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)

Cycle to work scheme

Immigration loan

On-site nursery

On-site gym

Enhanced parental leave

Employee assistance programme

Discounted medical insurance

Qualifications

• Proven experience in a laboratory setting, particularly in immunology.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Some experience in teaching or supervising students is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Develop laboratory-based tests for diagnosing Systemic Autoinflammatory Disorders.
• Validate tests in patients with confirmed SAID.
• Supervise BSc, MSc, and PhD projects in collaboration with the Burns laboratory.

Skills

Laboratory experience

Organized approach

Troubleshooting ability

Team collaboration

Education

PhD in Immunology or related field

Job description

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This post will work with a team to improve our understanding of and diagnosis for Systemic Autoinflammatory Disorders (SAID), a group of disorders of the innate immune system that cause recurrent attacks of severe inflammation and fever. Wider application of next generation genetic sequencing (NGS) for patients with suspected rare conditions has accelerated diagnosis for SAID. Accurate genetic diagnosis has improved our understanding of SAID, identifying an expanded range of disease presentations and more complex patterns of genetic inheritance, and importantly has allowed us to identify patients eligible for specific highly effective treatments. Paradoxically, NGS has also made SAID genetic diagnosis more complicated by identifying many variants of unknown significance (VUS) that are not clinically actionable. As a result, patients can be left without a clear diagnosis and management plan.

This project addresses this problem. The postholder will develop a panel of laboratory-based tests of immune cell function focused on SAID genes for which robust functional validation is not currently available in clinical diagnostic laboratories. The postholder will then validate these tests in patients with a variety of SAID confirmed by pathogenic mutations and subsequently test blood samples from patients with suspected SAID who have genetic VUS. This will enable assessment of the functional consequences of SAID genetic variants in immune cells to extend our understanding of the pathogenesis of SAID and establish tests that can be used for diagnosis and direct patient benefit.

The position is available for 1 year in the first instance.

About you

We are seeking a scientist motivated to work in translational immunology on a project with direct relevance to patients. You should have experience of working in a laboratory and fulfill the essential criteria in the Person Specification. Given the goal of the project to develop robust diagnostic assays, we are looking for someone who is organized in their approach to work, able to troubleshoot, and who keeps careful records. You should be able to work both independently and as part of a team. Some experience in teaching or supervising is desirable as the post-holder will work with the Burns laboratory to supervise BSc, MSc, and PhD projects in the laboratory.

Please see the attached job description and person specification for full details. Please also read the attached Candidate Guidance document.

All applications must include a supporting statement, telling us, using examples, how you meet the essential criteria listed in the job description. Applications without a supporting statement will be rejected.

If you have any queries about the role or application process, technical issues, or need reasonable adjustments or a more accessible format to apply for this job online, please contact the staffing team at [contact information].

The UCL Ways of Working supports colleagues in being successful and happy at UCL by sharing expectations around how we work. Please visit [link] for more information.

As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits, some of which are below:

• 41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave, 8 bank holidays, and 6 closure days)
• Additional 5 days’ annual leave purchase scheme
• Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)
• Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan
• Immigration loan
• Relocation scheme for certain posts
• On-Site nursery
• On-site gym
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption pay
• Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service
• Discounted medical insurance