Research Assistant in Rare Disease

KINGS COLLEGE LONDON; United Kingdom; On-site; GBP 39,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading educational institution in the UK is seeking a full-time Research Assistant for its neuroscience research team. The ideal candidate will have a degree in a relevant scientific field and experience using Drosophila models, as well as skills in molecular biology and microscopy. This role involves working on exciting projects related to mitochondrial signalling pathways and aims to advance research in cellular and molecular mechanisms. The salary ranges from £39,076 to £41,761 per annum.

Responsibilities

• Support several ongoing projects in the Bateman group.
• Perform experiments using Drosophila models of mitochondrial dysfunction.
• Collaborate on projects analysing human iPSC-derived neurons.

Skills

Degree or equivalent in a relevant scientific field

Research experience using Drosophila

Molecular biology research experience

Microscopy experience

Good time management and organisational skills

Knowledge of / education in neuroscience

Knowledge of mitochondrial biology

Experience using iPSC/organoid models

Education

Degree in relevant scientific field

Job description

Organisation/Company KINGS COLLEGE LONDON Research Field Educational sciences Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) First Stage Researcher (R1) Country United Kingdom Application Deadline 18 Nov 2025 - 00:00 (UTC) Type of Contract Other Job Status Full-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

Offer Description

About us

Professor Bateman’s lab is in the Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, housed in the Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, a state-of-the-art research facility on the Denmark Hill campus at King’s College London, housing 150 clinicians and scientists from disciplines including neuroimaging, neurology, psychiatry, genetics, molecular, cellular biology and drug discovery. The Bateman lab shares space with 3 other groups (Vagnoni, Hirth and Fanto groups) all studying nervous system function and degeneration using Drosophila, mouse and cell models, making this an exciting and dynamic research environment.

About the role

The research assistant will contribute to and support several ongoing projects in the Bateman group. Research focuses on the role of signalling pathways in nervous system development and function. We are specifically interested in mitochondrial stress signalling and mTOR signalling pathways. You will perform experiments using Drosophila models of mitochondrial dysfunction to characterise underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms. You will also play a role in collaborative projects to analyse human iPSC-derived neurons and cortical organoids, as well as isolate of plasma/cells from human blood as part of the mTOR Pathway diseases node (https://rd-research.org.uk/node/mtor-pathway-diseases/).

The project is funded by the Medical Research Council and Innovate UK.

This is a full‑time post (35 hours per week), and you will be offered a fixed‑term contract until 31 Oct 26.

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

• Degree or equivalent in a relevant scientific field
• Research experience using Drosophila
• Molecular biology research experience
• Microscopy experience
• Efficient worker with good time management and organisational skills
• Knowledge of / education in neuroscience
• Knowledge of mitochondrial biology
• Experience using iPSC/organoid models

Downloading a copy of our Job Description

Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the page. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

Further information

We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community.

We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King's.

As part of this commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and through this appointment process, it is our aim to develop candidate pools that include applicants from all backgrounds and communities.

We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the advert. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.

To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our ‘How we Recruit’ pages.

Interviews are due to be held in December.

This post is subject to an Occupational Health Clearance.

Grade and Salary: £39,076 - £41,761 per annum, including London Weighting Allowance
Job ID: 129225
Close Date: 18-Nov-2025
Contact Person: Professor Joseph Bateman
Contact Details: [e-mail]