Research Assoicate – Department of Infectious Diseases

Job id: 076685. Salary: £42,405 per annum, including London Weighting Allowance.

Posted: 13 October 2023. Closing date: 13 November 2023.

Business unit: Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine. Department: Department of Infectious Diseases.

Contact details:Sergi Padilla-Parra. [email protected]

Location: Guy’s Campus. Category: Research.

Job description

The Padilla-Parra lab is offering a postdoc position funded by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative (CZI) award to be appointed at the Department of Infectious Diseases. The successful candidate’s role will be to conduct research consisting on the application of advanced lifetime microscopy and single molecule approaches to study the molecular basis of HIV-1 virus entry and fusion. This project is in collaboration with Dr. Sabrina Simoncelli at University College London (UCL)

The candidate will also be expected to contribute to running the lab, including management and developing protocols on molecular biology, virology and advanced photonics. The successful candidate will have track record in advanced microscopy, cell biology and ideally virus entry. Experience with T cell lines, virus like particle production (VLP), retrovirology is desirable. Also experience with labelling and molecular biology at undergraduate and postgraduate level, as well as experience co-supervising MSc and PhD students will be a plus.

This post will be offered on an a fixed-term until 

This is a full-time post – 100% full time equivalent.

Key responsibilities

• Develop nationally/internationally recognized high-quality research activity in line with the objectives specified by the supervisor (Dr Padilla-Parra).
• To have a background in single molecule biophysics and ideally virology with peer review publications
• Have experience in advanced Imaging Microscopy
• To have experience with production of virus-like-particles
• To have a broad experience in biology in general and a broad range of light microscopy techniques, especially in live cell imaging
• To have experience in molecular biology, cloning and different labelling strategies for both proteins in the host and viral proteins
• Engage in the dissemination of research through knowledge transfer, outreach, continuing personal development and public engagement
• To support the planning and organization and delivery of a range of activities related to the day to day running of the lab
• Embrace and support actions on Equality and Diversity
• Help with the practical supervision of young/junior members of the lab, including the implementation of health and safety protocols and good practice in the lab
• Attend, as appropriate, present research findings and papers at internal and external academic meetings, seminars and conferences to contribute to the internal and external visibility of the department

The above list of responsibilities may not be exhaustive, and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks and responsibilities as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.

Skills, knowledge, and experience

Essential criteria

Desirable criteria

* Please note that this is a PhD level role but candidates who have submitted their thesis and are awaiting award of their PhDs will be considered. In these circumstances the appointment will be made at Grade 5, spine point 30 with the title of Research Assistant. Upon confirmation of the award of the PhD, the job title will become Research Associate and the salary will increase to Grade 6.

This post is subject to Disclosure and Barring Service and Occupational Health clearance.