Research Assistant - London, United Kingdom - King's College London

King's College London

Verified Company

London, United Kingdom

12 hours ago

Posted by:

Tom O´Connor

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Description

Job id:
Salary: £37,332-£42,099 per annum, including London Weighting Allowance.

Posted: 13 March 2024.

Closing date: 01 April 2024.

Business unit:
Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine

Department:
Randall Cell & Molecular Biophysics.

Location:
Guy's Campus

Category:
Research.

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Job description

This post is for a Research Assistant who will help investigate how epithelia responds to crowding to trigger extrusion. Our lab identified cell extrusion as a critical process driving epithelial cell death.

Importantly, excess crowding from a bronchoconstrictive event in asthma can cause so much extrusion that it will destroy the airway epithelial barrier, driving subsequent inflammatory period.

To identify new ways to block this process and why some individuals are more affected by it, we need a better understanding of the signalling and mechanisms that drive extrusion.

Our work has centred on the role of Piezo1, which serves as an excellent therapeutic target in asthma.

This is a lab-based role for the duration of the contract, which will require the following:
Undertake basic research by preparing, setting up, conducting and recording the outcome of experiments, the development of questionnaires and conducting surveys

Conduct literature searches and update knowledge and develop skills

Write up results of own research

Contribute to the production of research reports and publications

Present information on research progress and outcomes

Supervise research

Liaise with research colleagues and support staff on routine matters

Make internal and external contacts to develop knowledge and form relationships for future collaboration

Actively participate as a member of a research team

Attend and contribute to relevant meetings

Make use of standard research techniques and methods

Deal with problems which may affect the achievement of research

Contribute to decisions affecting the work of the team

Analyse and interpret the results of own research and generate original ideas based on outcomes

Plan day-to-day research activity within the framework of the agreed programme

Co-ordinate own work with that of others to avoid conflict or duplication of effort

Contribute to planning of research projects

This post will be offered on a full time, fixed-term contract to 25th June 2026.

Key responsibilities

Identifying mechanisms that activate Piezo1.

Defining outcomes of inability to extrude or excess extrusion on epithelial health.

Using proteomics & lipidomics to identify components of new Piezo1 structure

Conduct work independently with good notes and analysis presented weekly in one-on-one meetings.

Presenting work at internal and potentially local meetings

Help writing papers and assisting other team members

Live and fixed imaging at many scales

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post._

Skills, knowledge, and experience

Essential criteria