Research Fellow

Warwick; Coventry; Hybrid; GBP 35,000 - 46,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension scheme

Holiday allowance

Onsite childcare facilities

Job summary

Warwick invites applications for a Research Assistant/Research Fellow position in vertebrate developmental biology at the Nelson group. The project investigates conserved gene regulatory programmes governing nervous system and pancreas development, using human organoids and zebrafish and employing CRISPR genome editing and single-cell multiomics.

The role is based on an 80% on-campus hybrid schedule at the Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Building.

Qualifications

• PhD in vertebrate developmental biology and substantial practical molecular biology experience.
• Ability to establish and optimise new laboratory techniques and manage multiple lines in parallel.
• Full training provided where required.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day experimental and analytical work.
• Conduct CRISPR-based genome editing and single-cell multiomics analyses.
• Work with human organoids and zebrafish to dissect enhancer function.
• Collaborate with groups in Life Sciences and Warwick Medical School.

Skills

Molecular biology

CRISPR editing

Single cell omics

Zebrafish imaging

Education

PhD in vertebrate developmental biology

Tools

Organoid culture

CRISPR/Cas9

Job description

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Full time Salary Range: £35,608.00- £46,049.00per annum

About the Role

This position availablein the Nelson group is to investigate conserved gene regulatory programmes governing nervous system and pancreas development, funded by a BBSRC standard research grant.

The objective is to understand the basis for deep and stringent conservation of enhancers at critical transcription factor genes acting in both pancreas and nervous system development throughout jawed vertebrate evolution, thus illuminating key mechanisms governing conservation of the vertebrate body plan and how enhancer mutations may lead to developmental disorders.

The post-holder will work closely with other members of the Nelson group and collaborate with Dr Robert Huckstepp’s group in School of Life Sciences to perform imaging analysis of human hindbrain organoids, and the Bioinformatics & Digital Health Research Technology Platform to perform single cell multiomics data analysis.

The project will take place in the recently opened £54.3m Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Building, combining cutting-edge facilities with research groups from School of Life Sciences and Warwick Medical School working on related projects and systems including in the fields of developmental biology, neuroscience, human organoid and zebrafish research.

If you are near submission of your PhD, or have not yet had it conferred, any offers of employment will be made at Research Assistant level, at the highest spinal point of pay grade 5 (£34,610 per annum). Upon receipt of evidence confirming the successful award of your PhD, you will be promoted to Research Fellow, at the lowest spinal point of grade 6 (£35,608 per annum).

For details on the experience and skills required, please refer to the job description ( link here ).

About You

The successful candidate will hold a PhD in vertebrate developmental biology, gene regulation, or a closely related field, and substantial practical experience of experimental molecular biology. The candidate should be able to establish and optimise new techniques in the laboratory, and to manage several experimental lines in parallel. It is recognised that the successful candidate is unlikely to have experience of all techniques required by the project. Full training will be provided where required.

The successful candidate will lead an ambitious experimental genetics project exploiting human pluripotent stem cell derived organoids and zebrafish to dissect the function and regulatory logic of highly conserved enhancers functioning across the developing nervous system and pancreas. The work will combine CRISPR-mediated genome editing, single cell multiomics, and phenotypic analysis of human organoids, and fine-detail functional analysis of enhancer composition using zebrafish in vivo reporter assays.

We expect you to arrive with strengths in some of the following areas: mammalian pluripotent stem cell maintenance and directed differentiation, CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing, functional genomics and transcriptomics, single cell multiomics, and zebrafish imaging-based techniques. Full training will be provided across the remaining areas.

The successful applicant will lead the day-to-day experimental and analytical work.

We believe that collegiality, openness, inclusivity and diversity are essential for an excellent research and teaching environment. Our workplace ethic has enabled us to gain the Athena SWAN Silver award. We are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace and encourage applications from all groups with protected characteristics traditionally under-represented in STEM fields. As part of our ongoing commitment to addressing gender equality under the Athena Swan chartermark, we would particularly encourage and welcome applications from female academics.

Hybrid Working:

Due to the nature of this role, there is an expectation that the postholder will spend a minimum of 80% of their time working on campus. There will be periods requiring 100% on-campus presence (e.g. due stem cell maintenance, knock-out/knock-in production, the effective scheduling and execution of multi-day protocols etc), particularly within the first three months to support training. Following successful completion of the training period, hybrid working may be available when operationally justifiable, typically allowing for one day per week working from home.

Benefits

We will provide you with a great range of benefits, which include an attractive pension scheme, a generous holiday allowance plus Christmas closure, excellent learning and development opportunities, and savings on a wide range of products and services. We offer a generous maternity/paternity/adoption/parental leave policy, and onsite childcare facilities.

Right to Work in the UK

If you do not yet have the right to work in the UK and/or are seeking sponsorship for a Skilled Worker visa, please follow this link which contains further information about obtaining the right to work in the UK.