Wellcome Trust Research Assistant

About Us

Our guiding mission is to identify and investigate cellular and molecular mechanisms that cause and control inflammation and to relate these findings to human health and disease.

We are interdisciplinary in nature; by bringing together different disciplines, we will accelerate our understanding of the common as well as the unique mechanisms that contribute to inflammation-related pathologies.

To achieve this, we conduct discovery-led, applied and clinical research (including clinical trials) related to inflammatory joint, lung, gut, liver, kidney and skin disease. We extend these investigations to cancer, pain, neurodegeneration and certain psychiatric and mental health disorders where inflammation is increasingly recognised as an important contributor.

We are highly committed to educating, training and inspiring the next generation of scientists and clinicians in these areas of research.

About the role

The successful candidate will join a team in Dr. Yin Wu's lab investigating the role of gamma delta T cells in cancer. The post is part of a Wellcome Trust Career Development Award to Dr. Wu investigating the cancer recognition code of gamma delta T cells. The post holder will be required to provide technical support to the experimental work being undertaken in multiple projects within the lab. This may include carrying out experiments, co-ordinating the project, timelines and meetings, and generally ensuring the smooth running of the lab. In addition, the postholder may also be responsible for training PhD and project students in the lab. There is an emphasis on translating findings in collaboration with the wider team which derives funding from multiple sources including Breast Cancer Now and Cancer Research UK.

The ideal candidate should have a background in experimental biomedical sciences and good knowledge of immunology, multi-colour flow cytometry, and cell culture. The post holder will receive relevant supervision and training in specialised techniques and will meet with their line manager on a regular basis to review results and plan experiments. Equally, once established, the post-holder should be able to work independently without the requirement for day-to-day supervision and is encouraged to contribute to the design of experiments.

This is a full time 35 hours per week, and you will be offered a fixed-term contract until 06/03/2031.

Research staff at King's are entitled to at least 10 days per year (pro-rata) for professional development. This entitlement, from the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers , applies to Postdocs, Research Assistants, Research and Teaching Technicians, Teaching Fellows and AEP equivalent up to and including grade 7. Visit the Centre for Research Staff Development for more information.

About You

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

Essential criteria

• MSc/MRes in immunology, cancer biology, or related field
• Theoretical knowledge of T cells and practical expertise in culture and manipulation of these cells
• Theoretical and practical expertise in cellular and molecular immunology in human model systems
• Experience of working in academic laboratory
• Experience of multiparametric flow cytometry and fluorescence activated cell sorting
• Experience of lab management
• Experience of protein quantification (e.g., ELISA, Luminex)

Desirable criteria

• Experience of presenting at scientific congresses
• Experience in supervision of undergraduate students
• Experience of writing scientific manuscripts (reviews or primary research)
• Experience of spectral flow cytometry
• Experience of imaging techniques (e.g., immunofluorescence)

Downloading a copy of our Job Description

Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the page. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

Further Information

We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community.

We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King's.

As part of this commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and through this appointment process, it is our aim to develop candidate pools that include applicants from all backgrounds and communities.

We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the advert. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.

To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our 'How we Recruit' pages.

Interviews are due to be held in early February.

This post is subject to Occupational Health clearances.