Research Assistant/associate - Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom - Newcastle University

Newcastle University

Verified Company

Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom

2 weeks ago

Posted by:

Tom O´Connor

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Description

Salary:

Research Assistant:
£31,396 to £32,982 per annum

Research Associate:
£33,966 to £36,024 per annum

Newcastle 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: 21 March 2024

The Role

Following recent success in securing an MRC funded UK Rare Disease Research Platform Node, Renal Ciliopathies National Network - CILIAREN, we are seeking a research assistant/associate to join our internationally renowned multi-disciplinary team in Newcastle.

This position provides an opportunity for an outstanding research assistant/associate to develop their career within a team that brings together clinicians and academics in a vibrant translational research environment that works closely with patients and their families.

You will be skilled in bioinformatics, large data handling, and experience within Biosciences.

We are looking for an exceptional individual who can learn new laboratory techniques as well as perform in silico data analysis.

Renal ciliopathies are a group of inherited cystic kidney diseases that represent around 10% of all patients with kidney failure.

The most prevalent form worldwide is called autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) secondary to mutations in the cystogenes PKD1 and PKD2.

Cystogenesis secondary to these mutations is driven by upregulated cAMP which can be modified in animal and human studies by arginine vasopressin antagonists such as tolvaptan.

Pharmacological treatments and genetic interventions that prevent or switch off the disease are still lacking. Therapies for the related autosomal recessive (AR) disorders ARPKD and nephronophthisis is completely lacking despite shared disease mechanisms. Collectively these disorders are termed renal ciliopathies.

The Renal Ciliopathies National Network - CILIAREN, aims to improve genomic interpretation of underlying genetic variants and develop well characterised groups of patients who are trial ready for new personalised medicine treatments.

In doing so, we aim to create a national system of support for ciliopathy patients and their families through partnerships with patient groups and charities.

This will allow better interfaces with clinical care teams and researchers.

We believe that involving using the ADPKD translational pathway we can shape the translational landscape for all renal ciliopathies, leading to better mechanistic understandings, well designed preclinical and clinical trials and identifying therapies that would be used in these patient groups.

This post is full time, fixed term for a period of 3 years.

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.

Key Accountabilities

The Person

Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

Ability to work well as part of a team and rapidly acquire new skills
Likelihood of advanced skills directly 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 with R and python software

Desirable:
Experience of techniques, such as single cell RNA-seq
Previous experience with transcriptomic studies
Experience in cell culture, especially kidney cells
Experience in analysis of protein expression in tissue samples using immunofluorescence or western-blot Experience of mouse genetics UK Home Office Personal Licence (PIL A/B)

Attributes and Behaviour High level laboratory skills, with attention to detail and the ability to critically analyse and interpret data Outstanding organisational and record keeping skills, with the ability to plan and prioritise tasks to meet deadlines Ability to contribute ideas and enhancements to develop the project and further research objectives Contribution to dissemination of research via seminar, conference presentations or publications Ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team, but also show strong independent working

Desirable:
Demonstrate enthusiasm towards scientific engagement Confidence and willingness to support and guide research students and junior members of staff High level of analytical and problem-solving capability

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 oppo