Research/Senior Research Associate

Job title:

Research/Senior Research Associate

Company

Newcastle University

Job description

Salary:Research Associate: £35,116 to £45,413 per annumSenior Research Associate: £46,735 to £55,755 per annumNewcastle 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: 25 March 2025The RoleWe are recruiting a Research Associate/Senior Research Associate to support the Transplantation and Regenerative Medicine laboratory working with Dr. Bill Scott, focusing on pancreas and islet research within the Newcastle University Translational and Clinical Research Institute. The post-holder will work across traditional industry/academic boundaries in close collaboration with industry and NHS partners within a dynamic multi-disciplinary team focused on rapid clinical translation.This post will involve laboratory-based research, working with human donor tissue for primary cell isolations, tissue engineering, characterisation, and preservation studies with a focus on rapid clinical translation. This project will combine traditional lab skills, aseptic techniques, tissue and cell engineering methods to further understanding of pancreatic tissue and islet cell transplantation towards improving clinical care for those suffering severe Diabetes. This is being achieved by addressing core challenges in pancreatic islet transplantation. This project has the potential to enable a new clinical standard of care in human pancreatic islet transplantation.Existing approaches to utilise islets of Langerhans for treatment of sever type-1 diabetes have been limited by nutritional restrictions during the peri-transplant period and subsequent loss of function prior to engraftment. This project will focus on process optimisation validation and documentation for clinical-translation of Kugelmeier’s SP5D platform to standardise islet-spheroid size to treat type-1 diabetes, overcoming this key nutritional limitation. You will: 1) optimise cell-dissociation/re-aggregation from cadaveric isolated islets; 2) scale-up the process; 3) contribute to the generation regulatory-documentation for submission.This post is fixed term for a period of 12 months.For informal enquiries contact: Dr Bill Scott (bill.scott3@newcastle.ac.uk)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/You will work closely with the project leadership team (Dr Bill Scott, Dr Ana Ferreira-Duarte), our industry partner (https://www.kugelmeiers.com/), Regulatory Bodies, other team members, and contribute to the management of the wider programme of work and support the planning and coordination of activities.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.For Research Associate, we are looking for an individual that has a PhD related to either transplantation or regenerative medicine.For Senior Research Associate (SRA), we are looking for an individual that has a PhD in a relevant subject with several years of experience as a postdoctoral researcher. Having an impressive set of relevant published papers and ability to be involved in grant applications is essential.We are especially interested in individuals with direct experience working in a regulated or healthcare environment as well as those experience working with.Please note that if you are successful to this role, you will require medical clearance before you can commence in the roleKey AccountabilitiesResearch Associate

• 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
• 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
• Help colleagues in interpreting their data, to manage competing priorities, and to develop their research skills

Senior Research AssociateAll the above plus:

• 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
• Play an active part in research networks, develop contacts with external bodies including funding bodies, commercial partners and actively seek out and develop opportunities for interdisciplinary research
• Plan and lead high quality research including project management, supervising and taking responsibility for the research team, and collaborating with external partners
• Monitor workload and supervise/train less experienced staff and/or students working across several projects
• Identify and undertake a programme of professional development including further training becoming an independent researcher
• Contribute to teaching the Institute and Faculty of Medical Science postgraduate and undergraduate courses as required

The PersonKnowledge, Skills and ExperienceResearch Associate

• Ability to work independently and as part interdisciplinary research project teams in a self-motivated manner and rapidly acquire new skills
• Detailed subject knowledge in transplantation and/or regenerative medicine with a focus on the pancreas and islets and primary cell isolation (preferred)
• Advanced skills 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 of designing and delivering research projects
• Ability to prioritise key tasks and carry out research project work within agreed timelines, meeting project milestones and producing research to a high standard

Desirable

• Evidence of implementing and optimising methods and laboratory pipelines
• Experience of preparing research proposals for submission to competitive funding organisations
• Significant laboratory experience including, but not limited to primary tissue culture, cell dissociation, cell/tissue characterisation, molecular biology techniques, etc

Senior Research AssociateAll the above plus:

• Experience assisting with preparation of funding applications
• Considerable experience in conducting research, as evidenced by publications in high-quality peer-reviewed journals
• Substantial experience of analysing and interpreting data
• Strong understanding and demonstrable experience of aseptic techniques
• Demonstrable supervisory experience looking after students and/or technicians

Attributes and Behaviour

• Excellent organisational, communication, and interpersonal skills (team player)
• Tailors content of communication to the audience, changing style, tone and format appropriately
• Willingness to work flexibly to deliver on research
• Applicants should be ambitious with a demonstrable drive to succeed and produce work at the highest level
• Completer / finisher

Desirable

• Ability to work within a regulatory framework including working to pre-defined standards such as following SOPs.
• Ability to work efficiently and calmly under pressure.
• Clear commitment to a career in research

Qualifications

• A PhD in biomedical engineering, molecular/cell biology, transplantation, regenerative medicine, or similar discipline

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: 27948Contact Us

Expected salary

£35116 – 45413 per year

Location

Newcastle

Job date

Fri, 14 Mar 2025 23:59:00 GMT

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