Vacancies

PhD Studentship in Neuroscience

Imperial College London

Hammersmith Campus, London, UK

Applications are invited for a 3.5-year PhD studentship supported by the Edmond J. Safra Foundation to join the group of Dr Carola Radulescu in the Department of Brain Sciences for a project to study: Age-dependent mechanisms of α-Synuclein dynamics in synaptic function 

The project is based at Imperial’s Hammersmith Campus and White City Campus. The candidate will be under the supervision of Dr Carola Radulescu, Edmond J Safra Research Fellow in the Department of Brain Sciences and will benefit an active and engaged postgraduate community at Imperial.

Age-related neurodegenerative conditions are the greatest health challenge of our century. Today, over 1 million people in the UK are living with age-related neurodegenerative conditions leading to debilitating dementia and movement disorders, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and motor neuron disease. The impact of these incurable and progressive conditions on individuals and their families is devastating. The cost to the economy and public services is large and growing as the UK population ages. However, due to major advances in our understanding of the biology of these diseases, the scientific field is at a tipping point, with the next decade promising to deliver transformative breakthroughs in therapies and a new era of predictive, preventative, and precision medicine for neurodegenerative conditions.

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis with a final closing date of 31 January 2025.

For full details, visit here.

UK Dementia Research Institute at Cardiff University is one of six new Dementia Research Institute UK centres. The UK DRI is a new well-funded institute focused on elucidating and targeting the pathways and mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative disease. 

We are seeking applications from highly motivated individuals for a post-doctoral position working with the group of Prof Caleb Webber at the Dementia Research Centre in Cardiff University. The role will be focussed on the use of iPSC models of dopaminergic neurons and other cell types to understand the metabolic dysfunction and genetic influences towards Parkinson’s Disease. You will work in a multidisciplinary environment with opportunities to grow your science. Beyond this, the UK DRI provides a premier research network across the UK and provides excellent opportunities specifically for early career researchers (ECR), including scientific meetings, training opportunities and ECR-focussed funding calls.  

You should have a PhD degree in neuroscience (or nearly completion), stem cell research or equivalent experience. Experience in human pluripotent stem cell culture, neuronal differentiation techniques and cellular phenotyping would be highly advantageous, as would experience in cellular imaging techniques such as qPCR, confocal microscopy, Western Blotting and Immunocytochemistry, immunohistochemistry and/or RNA sequencing preparation.

We are looking for an enthusiastic individual with a proactive and flexible attitude to work, and an interest in learning new concepts and technologies. The Centre provides an excellent research environment in an international and interactive atmosphere. 

In this project, you will develop new molecular tools modifying circadian pathways to prevent/ delay Alzheimer’s disease.

About the role

The Brancaccio Lab invites applications from talented, highly motivated and creative postdoctoral scientists to take a leading role in one of the following projects investigating molecular cellular and circuit mechanisms driving circadian dysfunction in pre-clinical models of Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Today, over 1 million people in the UK are living with dementia and related neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and motor neuron disease (MND). The impact of these incurable and progressive conditions on individuals and their families is devastating. The cost to the economy and public services is large and growing as the UK population ages. However, due to major advances in our understanding of the biology of these diseases, the scientific field is at a tipping point, with the next decade promising to deliver transformative breakthroughs in therapies and a new era of predictive, preventative, and precision medicine for neurodegenerative conditions. The UK is well placed to play a leading role in this revolution due to its scientific strengths in the field, led by the UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI) working with our world-class, university-based centres. We are a globally leading multidisciplinary research institute of over 900 staff investigating the spectrum of neurodegenerative disorders causing dementia, driving a step 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 principal funder is the Medical Research Council (MRC).

What you would be doing

Project: Leveraging circadian clocks to prevent Alzheimer’s disease

In this project, you will develop new molecular tools modifying circadian pathways to prevent/ delay Alzheimer’s disease. This project stems from newly established mouse models and clock molecular targets identified in the Brancaccio Lab. You will perform viral delivery of gene therapy viral vectors, behavioural assessment of sleep-wake cycles and cognition, multiplexed live imaging in brain tissue, combinatorial intersectional genetics, and multivariate statistical analysis of time series to validate new chronotherapeutic interventions in Alzheimer’s disease. Further experience with analyses of large ‘OMICS dataset and advanced molecular biology tools in addition to stereotaxic brain surgery and live imaging will be an element of significant strength for this position. Previous knowledge of circadian biology is desirable but not strictly necessary.

What we are looking for

• You will be a motivated and organised researcher, excited by the science we do.
• You will hold (or be near completion of) a PhD in neuroscience (or related discipline).
• Experience of one or more laboratory techniques including live imaging microscopy and advanced techniques of molecular biology (e.g., cloning, viral vector design, construction and production, CRISPR/Cas9 and/or RNAi functional interference
• Experience of one or more software packages is essential: MATLAB, ImageJ, SigmaPlot,
• Prism, R, as is experience in statistical analysis.
• Practical experience with RNAseq, RNA scope, and spatial transcriptomic techniques is highly desirable.
• Experience with multivariate statistical analysis of (circadian) time series is highly desirable.

About the role: 

The Biomarker Factory Facility Co-ordinator is responsible for supporting the Principal Research Fellow with the delivery of the operational administrative support provided to scientists and their laboratory research teams within the UK DRI Fluid Biomarker Lab/Biomarker Factory at UCL.
This is a varied and exciting administrative role within a recently established research platform. You will have responsibility for a range of activities such as project costing and financial administration, including tracking orders and invoices. This role requires collaborative working within the team and with our collaborators and fellow labs at the UK DRI at UCL. There will be opportunity for someone with initiative to develop, implement, and improve systems and processes to ensure administrative activities within the lab are efficient and minimise the burden on the scientists. A background in laboratory work will enable you to get involved “at the bench” when large projects require all members of the team to be involved.
What we are looking for:  

You will be educated to degree (BSC or postgraduate) level, with an understanding and interest in the vision and mission of the UK DRI and a commitment to supporting and enabling its research. Experience of independently managing projects, IT proficiency at advanced user level, and excellent and oral and written communication skills are essential. Strong problem-solving skills, the ability to maintain excellent attention to detail and the ability to prioritise and reprioritise workloads are also a requirement. Experience and understanding of research grant administration, financial administration, or budget administration, and experience of working in a laboratory research department and of immunoassays is desirable. 

The Edinburgh Centre of the UK Dementia Research Institute is a collaborative research environment, focusing on understanding how vascular cells, macroglia, microglia and neurons interact to maintain brain homeostasis in health, and drive pathological cascades in disease. The post holder will be part of a 700-strong UK-wide community of dementia researchers, and will have access to the UK DRI’s intra-mural programmes and events designed for early career researchers, including pilot grants, travel awards, training events, as well as thematic conferences and the annual UK DRI Connectome meeting.

The Opportunity:

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to work on an exciting project (Targeting Nrf2 in brain endothelial cells as a novel therapeutic strategy against Vascular Dementia) funded by British Heart Foundation within a team of outstanding scientists and clinicians, including Dr. Jing Qiu (PI), Professor Karen Horsburgh (Co-I), Dr. Andrea Caporali (Co-I), Professor Joanna Wardlaw (Co-I), and Dr. James Loan (Co-I). Relevant publications include Zou et al.

Your skills and attributes for success: 

• A strong track record of research publications commensurate with career stage
• A high level of technical and theoretical knowledge in your current subject area
• Ambition to develop a project and contribute intellectually to its direction
• Experience in a subset of relevant techniques
• Good interpersonal, time management and team-working skills

The UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI), principally funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC), and Cardiff University are seeking to appoint an outstanding established academic to a new Chair in Neuroscience and to leadership of the UK DRI Centre within the School of Medicine at Cardiff University. The tenured appointment will be made at the level of Clinical or non-Clinical Professor.

We are looking for an Internationally recognised scientist working in any area relevant to the overarching mission of the MRC's UK DRI, “To improve understanding of disease mechanisms and identify therapeutic targets for dementia and other forms of neurodegeneration”. This includes the biology of behavioural and psychiatric features of dementia. 

The UK DRI is a national MRC Institute led by Prof Siddharthan Chandran that comprises eight Centres in the UK, each led by a Centre Director, across our six host University partners; University College London, University of Cambridge, Cardiff University, University of Edinburgh, Imperial College London and King's College London. The underpinning objective of the UK DRI is to transform through discovery research the outlook for people living with or at risk of dementias and related neurodegenerative disorders. Additional to the UK DRI's principal funder MRC are other major funding partners including the British Heart Foundation, LifeArc, Alzheimer’s Society and Alzheimer’s Research UK.

The UK DRI at Cardiff University is based in the university’s flagship Hadyn Ellis Building and comprises eight Group Leaders, two Emerging Leaders and numerous Fellows, Associates and Co- Investigators. Current research includes a broad portfolio spanning large scale genetic studies, state- of-the art bioinformatics and ‘omics, disease modelling in rodents, flies and iPS brain cells, in-depth analysis of disease mechanism and exploitation of mechanistic findings for development of new approaches to testing and treatment in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.

The UK DRI at Cardiff sits at the core of an exceptional local neuroscience community, including:

• World-leading brain imaging at CUBRIC and PETIC
• Innovation for intracranial cell and drug therapy in the BRAIN Unit
• Novel approaches to neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disease drug discovery at MDI
• Internationally leading Psychiatric research at CNGG and NMHII 
• Outstanding neuroinflammation research at SIURI

The post

The Centre Director will be a member of the UK DRI's Senior Leadership Team. They will, with the National Director and Directors of other Centres, set the overall scientific direction and vision for UK DRI in the broad area of “Understanding disease mechanisms and identifying therapeutic targets for dementia and other forms of neurodegeneration” with the overarching objective of driving research excellence and capitalising on the strategic strengths in Cardiff. They will also direct their own internationally competitive research programme in dementia or neurodegeneration and be a scientific leader within the UK DRI community, contributing to the success and growth of the UK DRI as a single National MRC Institute.

As a Cardiff University Professor, The Director will contribute to a thriving community at the very forefront of world-leading research and teaching. Their research programme will contribute to the broader work of the School of Medicine and they will have the opportunity to teach on relevant courses.

In the event that the appointee is a Clinical Academic, we anticipate supporting them to maintain their clinical skills and will work with one of our local NHS partners to facilitate this.

Cardiff University offers many excellent benefits, including 45 days annual leave (incl bank holidays), localpension scheme, a cycle to work scheme and other travel initiatives, annual increments within the pay scale, and more. It is an exciting and vibrant place to work, with many different challenges and is a proud Living Wage supporter.

The post is full time, open-ended and available immediately. The tenured appointment will be made at the level of Clinical or non-Clinical Professor.

SALARY: 
The successful candidate will be paid at a point to be negotiated on the appropriate Cardiff University Pay Scale based on their qualifications, skills and experience.

DOWNLOADS:

• Job pack
• UK DRI at Cardiff brochure

For informal enquiries please contact:

Prof Paul Morgan, Interim Director, UK DRI at Cardiff University on MorganBP@cardiff.ac.uk

For applicants applying for the post as Clinical Professor, please note the job description will require approval from the relevant Royal College (dependent upon speciality of successful candidate).

Date advert posted: 23 January 2025,  Closing date: 20 March 2025

Full information and application