Research Fellow in Prenatal Therapy for Alpha Thalassaemia

Job title:

Research Fellow in Prenatal Therapy for Alpha Thalassaemia

Company

University College London

Job description

About us The mission of the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health is to improve the health and well-being of children, and the adults they will become, through world-class research, education and public engagement. The UCL GOS ICH, together with its clinical partner Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, forms the largest concentration of children’s health research outside North America. GOS ICH’s activities include active engagement with children and families, to ensure that our work is relevant and appropriate to their needs. GOS ICH generates the funding for our research by setting out our proposals in high quality applications to public, charitable and industrial funding bodies and disseminates the results of our research by publication in the medical and scientific literature, to clinicians, policy makers and the wider public. The Institute offers world-class education and training across a wide range of teaching and life learning programmes which address the needs of students and professional groups who are interested in and undertaking work relevant to child health.About the role We are seeking to appoint a highly motivated research fellow with knowledge and skills in developmental and stem cell biology.The successful candidate will join an exciting research project that seeks to cure alpha Thalassaemia (a-Thal) before birth led by Dr Stavros Loukogeorgakis (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2960-5252).The project aims at developing a stem cell based therapeutic platform to treat a-Thal using in utero (prenatal; before birth) transplantation (IUT). IUT has the advantage over transplantation after birth that donor-matching and immune suppression are not required, since the fetus can ‘tolerate’ foreign cells without rejecting them. The successful candidate will use a novel a-Thal mouse model that mimics the disease in humans providing an excellent opportunity to study long-term treatment results. The post holder will build on knowledge gained from the group’s previous research on IUT to improve and refine the standard approach of using nanoparticle-engineered immature stem cells from the bone marrow to achieve disease cure before birth. If successful, the programme will lead to translation of a new prenatal approach for treating a-Thal as well as other inherited disorders.The salary offered is £42,099 per annum and is available immediately. The post will be funded for up to 3 years in the first instance and will be based in Zayed Centre for Research at the UCL GOS Institute of Child Health.Appointment at Grade 7 is dependent upon having been awarded a PhD; if this is not the case, initial appointment will be at research assistant Grade 6B (Salary £37,332 – £39,980 per annum, including London Allowance) with payment at Grade 7 being backdated to the date of final submission of the PhD thesis (including corrections).About you Candidates will have a PhD (or have submitted their thesis and awaiting award in PhD) in a relevant life science subject, for example stem cell biology/molecular biology/ developmental biology.The candidate will be integrated into the research activities of the group as a whole and will be expected to also contribute with his/her own ideas. Appropriate support and training will be provided, including the training in the use of in-house pipelines.The post holder will demonstrate knowledge and experience in stem cell biology and transplantation (focus on haematopoietic stem cells) developmental biology (focus on fetal haematopoiesis and fetal immunology), and nanotechnology (focus on delivery of small molecule agents). They should demonstrate evidence of ability to learn quickly and to work as part of a team.Excellent organizational and proven problem-solving skills are required. They should be able to communicate their work effectively in writing and oral presentations at internal meetings and conferences.Candidates should have a PhD in a relevant life science subject, for example in stem cell biology/molecular biology/ developmental biology.Proven research aptitude and wet laboratory experience is essential. Experience in cell culture, particularly human tissue, and cellular biology is desirable.What we offer As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents we also offer some great benefits some of which are below:41 Days holiday (including 27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days)
Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)
Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan
On-Site nursery
On-site gym
Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service
Discounted medical insuranceOur commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce.These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.You can read more about our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion here : https://www.ucl.ac.uk/equality-diversity-inclusion/Available documents

Expected salary

£42099 per year

Location

North West London

Job date

Wed, 05 Jun 2024 22:44:41 GMT

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