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By joining the UK DRI you’ll belong to a team of fantastic researchers, technical specialists and professional support staff passionate about accelerating the discovery, development and delivery of interventions that will help diagnose, treat and ultimately prevent dementia, directly benefitting people affected by dementia, their carers, families and the community.

We’re looking for brilliant people with diverse perspectives. Together our unique contributions will transform the range and pace of research on dementia. You’ll be supported by the very best tools and resources and join a culture that encourages high risk/reward science and sharing of ideas.

We are a vibrant, ambitious and interactive community. We offer opportunities at all career levels for scientists and support staff in our seven centres across the UK, as well as in our London-based HQ team.

We’re always interested in hearing from people as passionate about our mission as we are. To find out more about working at the UK DRI or our current opportunities, please contact us at enquiries@ukdri.ac.uk.

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​UK DRI at UCL

Research at the UK DRI at UCL covers the journey from the person living with dementia to the laboratory and back again - with improved diagnosis and potential therapies put to the test.

  • Specialisms at UCL
  • Mechanistic understanding of dysfunction in cells and neural systems
  • Gene expression and biological pathways in single cells related to the progression of Alzheimer’s disease
  • New biomarkers to monitor disease progression
  • Deficits in axonal transport in early neurodegeneration
  • Wnt signalling in synapses to discover new targets for future dementia therapies
  • Read more about UCL

    From lab bench to bedside, and back again

    UCL was selected as the hub of the UK DRI in 2016 because of its strength to bring together excellent clinical and basic neuroscience research to advance our understanding of neurodegeneration and identify novel targets and therapeutic approaches for dementia. As the hub, it has a larger research programme and also is the location for the national headquarters team who connect the whole institute together.

    Research at the UK DRI at UCL covers the journey from the person living with dementia to the laboratory and back again - with improved diagnosis and potential therapies put to the test. The groups believe in intervening earlier in disease in order to change the trajectory.

    We need to better understand the diversity and complexity of neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer's disease, in order to understand the mechanisms involved, and ultimately how we can alter them to improve people's lives.

    We must find treatments quicker, and that's why the UK DRI at UCL is taking a novel approach by integrating diverse expertise for efficiency, from genetics to diagnostics.

    This work is enhanced by incredible clinical resources. Researchers have access to unique clinical cohorts, where comprehensive data has been collected throughout disease progression including memory assessments and brain tissue. The UK DRI at UCL provides a clinical arm to the whole of the UK DRI.

    The future iconic home of the UK DRI at UCL will be alongside UCL's Queen Square Institute of Neurology in a new building on Gray's Inn Road.

    Visit the UK DRI at UCL local website for up-to-date news.

Apply for latest jobs at UCL

  • Research Assistant (Race Against Dementia Ignition Fund), UK DRI at UCL - FTD Fluid Biomarker Lab

    UK DRI is seeking a Research Assistant to join the FTD Fluid Biomarker Lab within the UK DRI Biomarker Factory at UCL Department of School of Life & Medical Sciences. The group is part of Professor Jonathan Rohrer’s team at the Dementia Research Centre and focuses on the discovery and development of fluid biomarkers for frontotemporal dementia, specifically in genetic FTD. We are part of the GENetic FTD Initiative (GENFI), a multicentre cohort study recruiting participants carrying mutations accounting for FTD. The project will be focused on the development of new methodologies to measure fluid biomarkers in blood and cerebrospinal fluid samples from FTD participants. We are seeking an energetic and proactive individual who is passionate about the study of biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases and understands the impact of this research in people living with dementia. Your main responsibilities will be to assist with the extractions of extracellular vesicles (EV) from plasma samples using a SEC set up with further characterisation of EV populations as well as to validate and develop immunoassays (both commercially available and home brew) for the measurement of proteins related to the lysosomal dysfunction. This is a unique opportunity to work in a vibrant research environment and at the cutting edge of disease-related neuroscience both within the UK DRI and the DRC at UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology as well as through collaboration with external laboratories. You should have an Honours degree (min 2:1) in Neuroscience, Developmental Biology, Molecular Biology, or a related discipline and experience performing immunoassays. Knowledge in Biochemistry/Molecular Biology is also a requirement, as is excellent time management, and the ability to be meticulous and accurate in all aspects of work. Experience with extracellular vesicles purification and characterisation techniques and statistical analysis skills are desirable. Ref: B02-06710, Closing date: 14 April 2024

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