Research Associate (Stem Cell Biology)

Newcastle University; Newcastle upon Tyne; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a motivated post-doctoral Research Associate to join a vibrant multi-disciplinary team focused on the vascularisation of retinal organoids. This role offers the opportunity to work with pluripotent stem cells, contribute to innovative research, and collaborate with a diverse group of experts. The position is based in a state-of-the-art facility with excellent transport links, providing a supportive environment for career development. If you have a passion for stem cell biology and a desire to make a significant impact, this opportunity is perfect for you.

Benefits

Generous Holiday Package

Health and Wellbeing Initiatives

Pension Scheme

Qualifications

• PhD in developmental, molecular or vascular biology, neuroscience or related areas.
• Experience in pluripotent stem cell biology or vasculogenesis.

Responsibilities

• Generate human immunovascular cells and perform differentiation of stem cells.
• Introduce immune and vascular cells into retinal organoids and perform analysis.
• Contribute to grant applications and write research proposals.

Skills

Stem Cell Biology

Immunology

Vasculogenesis

Data Analysis

Team Collaboration

Problem Solving

Research Proposal Writing

Education

PhD in Stem Cell Biology

Tools

Immunofluorescence Assays

Tissue Processing

Job description

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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: 21 May 2025

The Role

Do you have a passion for working with pluripotent stem cells? Are you looking to join a vibrant multi-disciplinary team working on vascularisation of retinal organoids?

We are looking for a motivated post-doctoral Research Associate to join our research team to introduce vascular and immune cells into retinal organoids.

We are seeking candidates with a PhD in developmental, molecular or vascular biology, neuroscience (or related areas) with experience in pluripotent stem cell biology or vasculogenesis. To learn more about our work, check out these recent publications on PubMed:

In this role, you’ll be based at our Newcastle upon Tyne campus that has fantastic transport links and state of the art facilities. You’ll be joining a highly collaborative and diverse team of 15. We also collaborate with 5 other labs and strongly encourage public engagement on a monthly basis.

The position is available from the 1st October 2025 fulltime for 2.5 years on a fixed term contract. To apply for the position, we’ll need your CV and a personal statement outlining how you are suitable for the role using evidence to highlight how you meet the essential criteria in the knowledge, skills and experience as listed in the job description.

Please note that if you are successful to this role, you will require medical clearance before you can commence in the role

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

• Generate human immunovascular cells using a variety of approaches
• Perform the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells to retinal organoids
• Introduce immune and vascular cells into the retinal organoids
• Perform immunofluorescence and molecular analysis of immunovascular retinal organoids
• Perform data extraction and analysis, and ensure full compliance with existing ethical regulations as appropriate
• Although working under the general guidance of an academic or Principal Investigator, the postholder 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

• Knowledge of stem cell or endothelial cell biology
• Experience in differentiation of pluripotent stem cells
• Experience of tissue processing and clearing, and immunofluorescence assays
• Ability to carry out research project work within agreed timelines, meeting project milestones and producing research to an appropriate standard
• Ability to work well as part of a team and rapidly acquire new skills
• Detailed subject knowledge in stem cell biology, retina or immunology
• 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
• Experience in endothelial and immune cell development
• Experience of preparing research proposals for submission to competitive funding organisations
• Ability to present findings at leading conferences
• Ability to supervise under- and post-graduate students

Attributes and Behaviour

• Good team working
• Capable of excellent communication
• Able to work out of hours and weekends as required
• Ability to work independently and as part of the research project team
• Ability to prioritise key tasks

Qualifications

• A PhD in stem cell biology, immunology or related fields

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 silverAthena 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.