Research Associate

About Us

The Neves lab is an enthusiastic, collaborative, interdisciplinary, and dynamic team with a positive working culture that delivers excellent research. Our work focuses on studying cellular interactions in the gut using organoid models to develop new therapeutic approaches to promote and restore intestinal and systemic health. We are based at the Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions at King's College London in central London, just steps away from London Bridge station.

About The Role

Food allergies are increasing, affect 8% of children and 10% of adults and can be life-threatening. With no cure, patients must avoid allergens and carry emergency medication, leading to restricted social lives and anxiety. While immunotherapy can raise the reaction threshold, it does not eliminate life-style limitations and risk of reactions. Urgent action is needed to develop definitive treatments for food allergies. Exposure to food allergens through the gastrointestinal tract is tolerogenic. Peanut consumption from the first year of life reduced peanut allergy by 81% in a randomised-controlled trial. This impressive effect was allergen-specific and sustained over time. However, the underlying immune mechanisms of oral tolerance induction to peanut are not well understood. In this research programme, we will use unique samples from young children undergoing their first oral exposure to peanut to explore the changes in the immune response to peanut induced by oral exposure. Their blood and intestinal immune cell populations will be analysed ex vivo and after co-culture with intestinal organoids to ascertain how these processes are regulated in the gut.

This work will be done in close collaboration with the Santos Lab at King's College London. This collaborative effort will allow us to pinpoint key pathways involved in establishing oral tolerance to food allergens and explore how they can be modulated to develop curative treatments for food allergies.

The postdoctoral research associate is expected to develop the project, to maintain accurate records of performed experiments, to analyse and summarize research results, to write reports and manuscripts, to prioritize work and meet deadlines, to join in research group and departmental activities, and to contribute to their positive and inclusive research culture.

This is a full-time post (35 Hours per week), based at Guy's Campus, and you will be offered a fixed term contract for 3 years.

About You

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

Essential criteria

• PhD awarded in immunology or related areas, or PhD in the same subjects near completion (pending results)*
• Knowledge and relevant laboratorial experience in immunology (preference lymphocytes), including experience with flow cytometry.
• Knowledge and relevant laboratorial experience in cell culture.
• Very good organizational skills and meticulous at work with strong work ethic and good research practice.
• Good communication skills, orally and in writing, along with strong interpersonal skills.
• Good track record with previous experience in contributing to the preparation of manuscripts and/or grant applications.

Desirable criteria

• Experience working with organoids, in particular hIPSC-derived intestinal organoids.
• Experience with spectral flow cytometry and/or imaging mass cytometry.
• Experience in analysis of scRNAseq data using R.
• Experience in working with human blood and/or intestinal samples.
• Previous experience in supervising/teaching students.

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 next page after you click "Apply Now". This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

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.

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. 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 during January 2026.

We are able to offer sponsorship for candidates who do not currently possess the right to work in the UK.