Vacancies

The UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI) is committed to transforming the lives of people affected by neurodegenerative conditions. In partnership with Parkinson's UK, we are excited to announce the launch of our new Parkinson’s Research Centre (PRC) in 2025.  Led by inaugural Centre Director, Professor Miratul Muqit, FRSE FMedSci, the PRC will adopt a distributed, network structure, with researchers hosted in leading universities across the UK.

We are now seeking to appoint one Group Leader (principal investigator) who will drive innovative research and contribute to our collaborative and inclusive scientific community. 

As a UK DRI Group Leader within the PRC, you will lead an internationally competitive research programme focused on Parkinson’s disease. You will contribute to an integrated, collaborative, interdisciplinary, and open science environment. We welcome applications from applicants whose research lies in any aspect of molecular research including cell biology, biochemistry, CRISPR- based screening or structural biology relevant to Parkinson’s, that aims to advance our understanding of the mechanisms of Parkinson’s. We welcome applicants at any stage of research career from those seeking independence for the first time to established tenured researchers.

The UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI) is committed to transforming the lives of people affected by neurodegenerative conditions. We are seeking to appoint two Group Leaders (Principal Investigators) who will drive a visionary programme of experimental and translational research in any area of neuroscience relevant to dementia and neurodegeneration while also contributing to our collaborative and inclusive scientific community. As part of a distributed national MRC institute, these posts will be based at the UK DRI at Cardiff University with the ability to collaborate across sites

As a UK DRI Group Leader, you will lead an internationally competitive research programme. All areas of neuroscience will be considered, but we are keen to receive applications with experimental approaches that use mouse genetics and physiology, organoids, human-to-mouse chimeric models or human tissue. We welcome applications focussing on molecular, cellular or systems neuroscience, including glial biology, neural circuits and neuron-glia and gliovascular interactions. You will contribute to an integrated, collaborative, interdisciplinary, and open science environment. The UK DRI will provide support to enable the rapid translation of the fundamental insights gained into drug development and tangible benefits for people living with neurodegenerative conditions.

Applications are welcome from those seeking independence for the first time, as well as from established tenured researchers from the UK and abroad. The primary criteria for evaluation will be recent research excellence, scientific vision and potential for collaborative research across the UK DRI.

Join the University of Edinburgh and you’ll be making a difference to everything around you. Be part of something bigger — where you’ll do meaningful work, grow and progress, be rewarded and recognised, and benefit from our strong commitment to your wellbeing. There are so many reasons to join us. 

The Opportunity:

We are looking for an enthusiastic postdoctoral Research Fellow to join the Rajani Lab as part of the new national BHF-UK DRI Centre for Vascular Dementia Research. We use a range of innovative methodologies and models to understand oligodendrocyte changes in vascular and Alzheimer’s dementias, and the interaction of these with other cell types. In this project, funded as part of the UK DRI’s Key Questions programme, the Research Fellow will use iPSC-derived oligodendrocytes to understand the role of genes identified as being epigenetically altered in Alzheimer’s disease and ageing. The Research Fellow will further investigate how these affect oligodendrocyte interactions with neurons and microglia.

Your skills and attributes for success:

• A PhD (or close to completion) in neuroscience or other relevant discipline.
• Experience with glial and/or neuronal cell cultures.
• Ability to work independently.
• Proactive and creative independent thinker.
• Ability to problem-solve and troubleshoot technical difficulties.

This post is full-time (35 hours per week) and 100% on campus.

Informal enquiries are welcomed and can be addressed to Dr Rikesh Rajani (rikesh.rajani@ed.ac.uk)