Vacancies

We offer an exciting opportunity to support a cutting-edge research laboratory at the UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL. We are seeking a highly motivated individual who is passionate about neuroimmunology and neuroscience, and who also understands the essential groundwork involved in managing the day-to-day operations and maintenance of a fast-paced, collaborative lab environment.

You will oversee all aspects of laboratory operations in close collaboration with the PI and other lab members. This position combines research, laboratory management, and administrative responsibilities. There will also be opportunities to design, execute, and lead independent research projects, as well as to contribute to grant writing and the preparation of funding reports.

This is a unique opportunity to be part of a vibrant research environment at the forefront of disease-related neuroimmunology and neuroscience—within the lab, across the UK DRI, and through collaborations with external academic and industry partners.

The post is available from 01 July 2025 and funded by the UK DRI until 31 May 2027 in the first instance.

You will have an MS, PhD, or MD in neuroimmunology, neuroscience, biomedical sciences, computational biology, or a related field (or equivalent qualification) and demonstrated experience in project management. A strong interest in the research focus of the Hong Laboratory, with a solid biological understanding of neuroimmunology, neuroscience, and neurodegenerative diseases is also required for the role, as is substantial wet-lab experience in an interdisciplinary research environment.

We are seeking to appoint a Research Associate to join the McEwan Group at the UK Dementia Research Institute at the University of Cambridge.

The post is a fixed term study in collaboration with the ARUK Drug Discovery Institute.

The successful candidate will research the ability of E3 ubiquitin ligases to degrade cytosolic protein aggregates in neurodegenerative diseases. They will build from recent discoveries that the antiviral receptor TRIM21 can evoke a potent degradation response against tau (Benn et al 2024 39208111), to uncover the range and requirement of ligases that can drive aggregate responses. Newly identified ligases will become the subject for collaboration with DDI for medicinal chemistry approaches.

The funds for this post are available until 28 February 2027 in the first instance.

Applicants must have (or be close to obtaining) a PhD.

Appointment at Research Associate level is dependent on having a PhD. Those who have submitted but not yet received their PhD will initially be appointed as a Research Assistant (Grade 5, Point 38 £34,132) moving to Research Associate (Grade 7) upon confirmation of your PhD award.

• one to two years in duration
• hosted at an organisation in an EU member state or Horizon Europe associated country
• open to researchers of all nationalities
   

• two to three years in duration with:
  • an outgoing phase hosted at an organisation outside of Europe
  • a one-year return phase hosted at an organisation in an EU member state or associated country
• open to nationals or long term residents of EU member states or Horizon Europe associated countries
   

1. The role of microglia in Alzheimer's disease (supervisor Prof Phil Taylor)
2. Biostatistics/Bioinformatics/Machine Learning (supervisor Prof Valentina Escott-Price)
3. Bioinformatics and Stem Cell Modelling (supervisor Prof Caleb Webber)
4. Complement in Alzheimer's disease (supervisor Dr Wioleta Zelek)
5. Exploring early disease mechanisms including endocytic dysfunction in Alzheimer’s Disease (supervisor Dr Natalie Connor-Robson)
6. Genetic association (supervisor Dr Rebecca Sims)
7. Synaptic imaging in neurodegeneration using novel MRI technology (supervisors Dr Dayne Beccano-Kelly & Dr Marco Palombo)
8. Developing new therapeutics in Huntington's disease (supervisor Dr Tom Massey)
9. Developing novel therapeutic avenues for expanded CAG/CTG repeat disorders (supervisor Prof Vincent Dion)
10. Deciphering the Molecular Pathways Governing Mitochondrial Dynamics in Neurons: Implications for Neurodegenerative Disorders (supervisor Dr Dr Gaynor Smith )
11. Cell and in vivo models of neurodegenerative disease (supervisor Dr Owen Peters)
     

• a doctoral degree by 10 September 2025
• a maximum of 8 years full-time equivalent experience in research, measured from the date that the researcher was in possession of a doctoral degree to 10 September 2025
   

About the Project

We are now recruiting a Senior Animal Laboratory Technician to join the UK DRI laboratory team based at the Cruciform Building. You will interact daily with research staff at all levels, helping to facilitate research at the UK DRI.

You’ll be responsible for animal husbandry within the labs and the monitoring of Home Office licenses. You’ll manage transgenic mouse lines, and perform and oversee genotyping on mouse lines as required. You’ll also be the lead contact and trainer for mouse-related work, and assist in animal protocol writing and execution.

You will work collaboratively with colleagues across the Centre, the UK DRI Central Team, the Queen Square Institute of Neurology, and central services within UCL. Strong communication and interpersonal skills are therefore essential.

The role is available from 01 June 2025 and funded by the UK DRI at UCL for two years in the first instance.

You’ll have a BSc in biological sciences (or a related subject), a Home Office personal licence, and experience of maintaining transgenic mouse lines and genotyping mice. Experience of working in a university research lab is essential, as is the ability to prioritise effectively, manage a cycle of projects, and excellent communication, interpersonal, and organisational skills.

We have an exciting opportunity for a Research Associate to join an Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA) funded project. The project aims to develop minimally invasive multiplexed temporal interference brain stimulation technology. The project is led by Dr Nir Grossman, who invites applications from talented, highly motivated and creative postdoctoral scientists to take a leading role demonstrating the approach in animal models.

The Interventional Systems Neuroscience Group, led by Dr Nir Grossman invents tools to non-invasively control neural activity, discover mechanisms to boost activity-dependent cellular homeostasis and cognitive functions, and translate the tools and principles to disease-modifying interventions for dementia. Our multidisciplinary team includes physicists, mathematicians, engineers, neuroscientists, and clinicians and has close collaborations with dozens of labs worldwide.

What you would be doing

We are seeking an outstanding post-doctoral researcher interested in taking on a challenging role with considerable scope for independent scientific achievement and personal growth.  Building on prior in vivo experience, you will join a team exploring technology capable of precisely stimulating multiple deep brain regions implicated in neurodegenerative diseases. These include structures such as the substantia nigra which is affected in Parkinson’s.  

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 in vivo mouse experiments, (recovery and/or non-recovery procedures), including surgery, in vivo measurements, and colony management
• Experience of immunohistochemical characterisation (perfusion, staining, and imaging)
• Experience with in 1) neuromodulation/ brain stimulation, 2) rodents’ electrophysiological recording, and/or 3) rodents’ cognitive assessment would be highly desirable

• 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 in vivo mouse experiments, (recovery and/or non-recovery procedures), including surgery, in vivo measurements, and colony management
• Experience of immunohistochemical characterisation (perfusion, staining, and imaging)
• Experience with in 1) neuromodulation/ brain stimulation, 2) rodents’ electrophysiological recording, and/or 3) rodents’ cognitive assessment would be highly desirable