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UK DRI at King’s College London seeks a Research Associate to study ALS using multiomics, stem cell models and bioinformatics to uncover early disease mechanisms.
The UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI) is the biggest UK initiative supporting research to fill the major knowledge gap in our basic understanding of the diseases that cause dementia.
We are a globally leading multidisciplinary research institute of 700 staff investigating the spectrum of neurodegenerative disorders causing dementia, driving a change in our understanding of neurodegeneration and accelerating the discovery, development and delivery of interventions that will help diagnose, treat and ultimately prevent dementia. Our laboratory-based research groups are located at King’s College London, University College London, the University of Cambridge, Cardiff University, Edinburgh University, and Imperial College London.
Dementia is a major health challenge of our century – currently affecting fifty million people worldwide, projected to triple by 2050, with huge financial, emotional and social impact on people directly affected, their carers, families and the community.
Dementia is a symptom of several neurodegenerative disorders, with Alzheimer’s disease accounting for about 60% of cases. To date, there is no way to prevent or even slow the rate of progression of neurodegeneration.
About the role:
Dr Andrea Serio & Dr. Sarah Marzi are seeking a highly motivated and skilled Research Associate at the UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI) at King’s College London.
This opportunity would suit a bright, talented, highly motivated, and ambitious individual to who will play a key role working on a project focused on the development of a multiomic platform to investigate early molecular signatures of ALS pathology in human motor neurons using a novel system developed in the Serio lab.
The successful candidate will have a demonstrable track record and experience bioinformatics and data analysis, particularly -omics approaches in biology and a keen interest in neuroscience and neurodegeneration. Demonstrable experience dealing with iPSC-derived cultures and data in the context of neurobiology or neurodegeneration studies is desirable.
The successful candidate will have at least a PhD in a relevant field and postdoctoral experience in a research lab with projects, preferably focused on neurobiology or neurodegeneration.
The post holder will work with other team members across the Serio and Marzi lab to generate stem cell-based models of ALS using a novel cell culture platform developed in the Serio lab for the study of axons, and will lead on the multiomic analysis to compare different genotypes.
The post holder will specifically generate multiomic data, including next-generation sequencing and proteomic data from in vitro models of ALS, and analyse newly generated data and public datasets that may include RNA-seq, ATAC-seq, proteomics and single cell/nuclei datasets.
Successful candidates will be highly motivated with demonstrable experience in multiomics and bioinformatics, with an interest or basic understanding of stem cell modelling applied to neuroscience and neurodegeneration studies.
The post will be linked to a MNDA project and a UK DRI funded programme and will take place between the Basic & Clinical Neuroscience department and the Francis Crick Institute
Some of the key skills involved include;
- To conduct high quality research under the supervision of Dr Serio and Dr Marzi, and in collaboration with other members of the Serio group.
- To present findings in regular group meetings to the PI and colleagues.
- Work in a collaborative manner, sharing knowledge and expertise within the team, department and with collaborators.
* Please note that this is a PhD level role but candidates who have submitted their thesis and are awaiting award of their PhDs will be considered. In these circumstances the appointment will be made at Grade 5, spine point 30 with the title of Research Assistant. Upon confirmation of the award of the PhD, the job title will become Research Associate and the salary will increase to Grade 6.
This is a full -time post (35 hours per week) and you will be offered a fixed term contract until 30/09/2028
Research staff at King’s are entitled to at least 10 days per year (pro-rata) for professional development. This entitlement, from the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers, applies to Postdocs, Research Assistants, Research and Teaching Technicians, Teaching Fellows and AEP equivalent up to and including grade 7. Visit the Centre for Research Staff Development for more information.
About you:
To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:
Essential criteria
- PhD in Neurobiology or related subject with clear track record of bioinformatics, data analysis -omics analysis.
- Postdoctoral experience in a neuroscience or neuroengineering project.
- Knowledge of basic neuroscience, neurodegenerative diseases and ALS
- Strong programming skills in R, python or other coding languages
- Practical experience with a high-performance computing and Unix/Linux environments
- Practical experience in a broad range of bioinformatics approaches, including the analyses of some or all the following assays:
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- RNA-seq (NGS and longreads)
- Single cell genomics
- ChIP-seq/CUT&Tag/ATAC-seq
- Proteomics
Desirable criteria
- Ability to work with version control systems, i.e., Git and GitHub
- Experience in iPSC-derived in vitro models
- Knowledge of next-generation genomic approaches, specifically those pertaining to RNA and chromatin biology
- Practical cell culture skills
Downloading a copy of our Job Description
Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the page. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.
Further Information
At King’s, we believe that the diversity of our community and a culture that is welcoming, open, inclusive and collaborative, are great strengths of the university.
The Equality Act of 2010 protects the rights of our students and staff and provides a framework to fulfil our duties to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and in addition, to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between those who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. At times, this will include balancing rights and beliefs that can feel in tension.
We are committed to free speech and to academic freedom, believing that our foundational purpose as a university, is to create spaces where a wide range of ideas, including ideas that are controversial, can be discussed and debated, and where members of our community can express lawful views without fear of intimidation, harassment or discrimination.
When engaging in the robust exchange of ideas, we ask that our community is mindful of our Dignity at King’s guidance.
We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the person specification section of the job description. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.
We reserve the right to close adverts early due to the volume of applications we receive. While the closing date may change, all adverts will close at 23:59 to allow sufficient time for applications to be submitted on that day.
We encourage you to apply at the earliest opportunity to avoid disappointment as once we have closed a vacancy you will be unable to submit your application.
To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our ‘How we Recruit’ pages.
This post is subject to Occupational Health clearance.
To apply for this job please visit www.kcl.ac.uk.
