Research Associate

Newcastle University; North East; On-site; GBP 35,000 - 46,000; Full time

Job summary

A prestigious educational institution in the UK is seeking a Research Associate to lead preclinical research on Malignant Rhabdoid Tumours. This role involves developing and characterising patient-derived tumour models to test therapeutic targets for a rare childhood cancer. The ideal candidate will have a PhD in the relevant field and strong skills in molecular biology and teamwork. The position offers excellent opportunities for career development and collaboration with international researchers.

Benefits

Generous holiday package

Pension schemes

Health and wellbeing initiatives

Qualifications

• Ability to rapidly acquire new skills and work as part of a team.
• Detailed knowledge of molecular basis of childhood brain tumours.
• Experience in a research environment with transferable skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead preclinical research into treatment strategies for Malignant Rhabdoid Tumours.
• Develop and characterise patient-derived tumour models.
• Identify and validate new drug targets for clinical trials.

Skills

Teamwork

Molecular biology expertise

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Problem-solving

Interpersonal skills

Education

PhD in relevant research area

Good honours degree

Tools

Bioinformatics software

Job description

Salary: £35,116.00 - £45,413.00 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: 12 August 2025

The Role

Your role as a Research Associate will be to lead preclinical research into new treatment strategies for Malignant Rhabdoid Tumours (MRT), a rare and aggressive childhood cancer. You will help develop and characterise advanced patient-derived tumour models and use them to test promising therapeutic targets that exploit vulnerabilities caused by loss of the SMARCB1 gene. This role offers an excellent opportunity to further develop experience in in vivo modelling, molecular profiling, and drug testing, with access to state-of-the-art facilities and expert support. You will also benefit from tailored training and mentoring, and work closely with national and international collaborators, making this an ideal position for a postdoctoral researcher looking to build a strong foundation in translational cancer research.

The project aims to establish a robust and standardised platform for testing new therapies in MRT, addressing a major gap in the development of effective treatments for this disease. By building a diverse panel of well-characterised tumour models, the research will identify and validate new drug targets that are specifically lethal to tumour cells lacking SMARCB1. The ultimate goal is to generate high-quality evidence to support the inclusion of novel therapies in clinical trials, and to improve outcomes for children affected by MRT.

This post is fixed term for a period of 3 years.

For informal enquiries contact: Dr Daniel Williamson ([e-mail]) and/or Dr Rebecca Hill ([e-mail]).

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:

https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/research/institutes/

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 their 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
• Will need to work with the 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

The Person

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Ability to work well as part of a team and rapidly acquire new skills
• Detailed knowledge of the molecular basis of childhood brain tumour development
• 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
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, writing, and organisational skills
• Proven cell and molecular biology skills with extensive practical experience in in vitro work including, but not restricted to, drug screening
• Knowledge and experience of omics analysis
• In vivo experience in cancer model development and pre-clinical therapeutic trials
• Experience in the development of patient derived xenografts including sample preparation (e.g. lentiviral transduction protocols, FACS analysis) and tumour cell injection (Desirable)
• Experience of using bioinformatics software and methodologies to analyze multi-omic and therapeutic datasets (e.g. R statistical environment) (Desirable)

Attributes and Behaviour

• Enthusiastic and hard-working with a willingness to work flexibly
• Ability to translate ideas into action and to take an active role in determining the future directions of research project
• Ability to work with a high level of accuracy and attention to detail, whilst meeting deadlines
• Ability to work independently, as a member of a team, and to establish effective working relationships with a range of colleagues and stakeholders at all levels of seniority
• Commitment to the University's research strategy and mission and to equality, diversity and inclusion and good working relationships
• Commitment to own personal development
• Problem-solving ability and willingness to develop and design new techniques as required

Qualifications

• Good honours degree (or equivalent) with some subject knowledge in the relevant area
• A PhD in the research area required (awarded or submitted prior to post start date)
• Home Office PIL (AB&C) (Desirable)

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. We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe.

Requisition ID: 28361

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