Vacancies

About us

The Dementia Research Centre (DRC) is a hub for patient-centred dementia research. Alongside clinical studies and trials in Alzheimer’s disease and other common causes of dementia, we have particular expertise in young onset, inherited and unusual dementias. Our work focuses on understanding the disease processes that cause dementia, the factors that influence them, improving diagnosis and treatments, and supporting people with dementia and their families.

About the role

We are seeking a Research Data Steward to join the DRC and be a part of an internationally recognised multidisciplinary team working on Insight 46, a landmark longitudinal study of ageing and neurodegenerative diseases. Spanning over a decade, Insight 46 follows participants from the MRC National Survey of Health and Development (NSHD) to explore healthy ageing and identify individuals in the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease. This research is helping to uncover how cognitive changes develop across the lifespan and how life-course factors influence brain health, with the potential to inform early interventions that could alter disease trajectories. The study is preparing to share its extensive imaging datasets nationally and internationally, offering you the chance to contribute to a global effort to transform dementia research.

In this role, you will support the curation, pipeline setup, and transfer of MRI and PET imaging data, working closely with the UCL Centre for Advanced Research Computing (ARC) - UCL’s hub for high-performance computing, digital infrastructure, and research innovation. This is a rare opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge brain health research, gain hands-on experience with world-class imaging data, and play a key role in projects with national and international impact.

The post is available immediately and funded by the Alzheimer’s Association until 31 December 2026 in the first instance. When this funding ends, there is the option for the post-holder to transfer to an open-ended position within ARC, subject to a satisfactory performance evaluation during their time at the Dementia Research Centre.

This role is eligible for hybrid working with a minimum of 40% of time on site.

About you

You’ll have a PhD, or equivalent professional expertise relevant to the role, experience of working with large, complex or rapidly changing datasets in an academic or industrial research environment, and familiarity with medical imaging data. Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills, along with the ability to work confidently with sensitive and confidential data while adhering to data protection and information governance standards, are essential for this role. You will be familiar with Open Science and Open Research principles and committed to producing reliable, sustainable, and trustworthy outputs. You will also have experience authoring high-quality technical documents - including research papers, white papers, or documentation describing technology solutions - and a proven ability to communicate complex or technical information clearly to diverse audiences.

This role does not meet the eligibility requirements for a Skilled Worker Visa certificate of sponsorship under UK Visas and Immigration legislation. Therefore UCL will not be able to sponsor individuals who require right to work in the UK to carry out this role.

MRC Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit (MRC PPU):

The MRC PPU is one of the world's most renowned centres for research on protein phosphorylation and ubiquitylation (http://www.ppu.mrc.ac.uk/). Many world-leading researchers in the field of signal transduction have trained within the MRC PPU. The major aims of the MRC PPU are to advance understanding of the role of protein phosphorylation and ubiquitylation in cell regulation and human disease, to facilitate the development of drugs to treat diseases caused by abnormalities in phosphorylation, to generate reagents and improve technologies. A key remit of the MRC PPU is to train the next generation of scientists who will advance our understanding in this crucial area of medical research.

Division of Signal Transduction Unit (DSTT):

The Division of Signal Transduction Therapy (DSTT) was established in 1998. This division operates as a unique collaboration between scientists in the MRC PPU and signalling researchers at the University of Dundee's School of Life Sciences and the pharmaceutical industry. The DSTT is widely regarded as a model for how academia should interact with industry. The DSTT operates as a simple bridging mechanism to enable our PIs working on ubiquitylation and phosphorylation to effectively interact with major pharmaceutical companies to help accelerate the early stages of drug discovery.

We are recruiting up to three postdoctoral scientists to join the laboratory of Professor Miratul Muqit, with expertise in signalling, cell biology, mouse neurobiology, CRISPR gene-editing or proteomics to investigate the function of the PINK1 kinase in neurons and the brain. The overarching goal of the Muqit lab is to undertake fundamental research to understand the molecular basis of the neurodegenerative disorder, Parkinson's disease (PD), through open and interdisciplinary collaborations with leading research groups across the world.

The successful applicant(s) will undertake discovery-driven research projects as part of a Medical Research Council Programme Grant Award that will lead to better understanding of PD and how to diagnose and treat it. The Muqit Lab is exemplar in collaborative research to make robust discoveries and share data openly in the field to accelerate progress.

The project(s) will investigate mechanisms of the PINK1 kinase which is frequently mutated in early-onset PD and is a master-regulator of mitophagy in brain. Previous research by the Muqit lab has contributed to the development of targeted therapies for PINK1-induced mitophagy which entered clinical trials for PD patients last year. However, much knowledge on PINK1 has been obtained from in vitro studies and very little is known on how the PINK1 pathway is regulated and functions in the brain and projects will be aimed at uncovering entirely new understanding of PINK1 function that may lead to new concepts for therapeutic exploitation in PD.

The successful candidate(s) will benefit from an interdisciplinary environment in the Muqit Lab in the MRC PPU in Dundee. The laboratory forms part of the national UK DRI and the EMBO YIP networks and successful applicants will have access to UK DRI and EMBO sponsored opportunities for training and self-development. The MRC unit also collaborates a major pharmaceutical company that support the Division of Signal Transduction Therapy that provides opportunities for interaction with industry and potential exploitation of new discoveries made in the lab. The Lab actively participates in Public Engagement and successful candidates will be encouraged to be involved in public and patient involvement.

Overall, this position provides an exciting opportunity to be involved in world-class research projects and for the successful applicant to carve themselves a major international reputation. The successful candidate(s) will have an opportunity to be trained in a suite of state-of-the-art techniques during the project.

Your priorities will include:

• Primary mouse differentiation protocols to CNS cell types including neurons and astrocytes.
• Design and performing kinome-wide CRSIPR/Cas9 knock-down screen and sgRNA enrichment analysis.
• Proteomic discovery platforms including PTM proteomics and organellar isolation workflows
• Public and patient involvement and engagement presentations.
• Dissemination of protocols and data openly and through formal peer-reviewed publications.
• Advising and mentoring undergraduate and PhD students.

Candidate requirements:

• Have a PhD in Cell Biology, Mouse Neuroscience, Biochemistry, Proteomics or related discipline with outstanding academic track record and a publication record in internationally recognised peer-reviewed journals.
• Have a strong interest in signal transduction research and how disruptions of these pathways are linked to human disease.
• Have a strong background in mouse neurobiology, biochemistry, cell biology proteomics and/or gene editing.
• Have a strong ability to work independently but with excellent ability to work in a team, and an open and collaborative approach to science.
• Highly organised, motivated and meticulous, with an ability to work independently and to drive a project forward robustly and at pace.
• Have excellent communication skills and knowledge of the English language are essential.
• Prior experience in mouse neurobiology or proteomics would be highly desirable.

For further information about this position please contact Prof Miratul Muqit at m.muqit@dundee.ac.uk. To find out more about MRC PPU please visit https://www.ppu.mrc.ac.uk/