Postdoctoral Research Associate in Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions

Job ID: 023025

Salary: Grade 6/Spine point 31, £38,304, including London Weighting Allowance

Posted: 13-May-2021

Closing date: 14-Jun-2021

Business unit: Dentistry, Oral & Craniofacial Sciences

Department: Centre for Host Microbiome Interactions

Contact details: Joana F Neves, Joana.pereira_das_neves@kcl.ac.uk

Guy's Campus   Research     

Job description
The Neves lab is looking for an excellent and highly motivated postdoctoral researcher to develop an exciting interdisciplinary project studying the  interactions that take place in the gut between different components such as: immune, stromal, epithelial, microbial and neural cells, in health and in disease as for example Inflammatory Bowel Disease, food allergy & neurodegenerative disorders.  

The postdoctoral research associate will join an enthusiastic, collaborative, hardworking and dynamic team.  We are based in the Centre for Host-Microbiome Interactions at King's College London in central London, just steps away from London Bridge station. 

The postdoctoral research associate is expected to independently develop their own project, to support undergraduate and PhD students within the group, to contribute to collaborative studies and to actively participate in grant writing and manuscript preparation. 

The project will involve the use of reductionist and complex in vitro co-cultures with intestinal organoids.  
The Neves lab is interested in understanding how the different cellular compartments of the gut communicate with each other, to then be able to direct those conversations to promote gut homeostasis. For that, we developed a co-culture system of intestinal organoids with other compartments such as immune cells, in particular Innate Lymphoid Cells (ILC). Using such model, in a collaborative work, we recently reported that certain ILC are able to regulate intestinal and matrix remodelling (Jowett et al., Nature Materials 2021) which has implications for the role of these cells in Inflammatory Bowel Disease. 

This is a full-time post for 18 months - 100% FTE

Lab webpage:  https://www.kcl.ac.uk/research/neves-lab  

Twitter: @Gutorganoid

Key responsibilities

• Develop own project with motivation and initiative, producing high-quality science.
• Contribute to the team success by training colleagues and students, providing scientific input during meetings, contributing of the lab organization, keeping a healthy and inclusive working atmosphere in the lab.
• Contribute to collaborative projects.
• Contribute to the preparation of grant applications and manuscripts

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 

• PhD awarded in immunology, stem cell biology, mucosal immunology, neurosciences, cell biology or related areas, or PhD in the same subjects near completion* 
• Knowledge and experience in mucosal immunology or stem cell biology or organoid technology with preference with a focus on the intestine 
• 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 and behavioral skills  
• Good track record with previous experience in contributing to the preparation of manuscripts and/or grant applications  
• Ability to prioritize work and meet deadlines 
• Ability to apply learnt techniques/skills to the work context 
• Excellent ability to work within a team and simultaneously to work independently and to organize self-work 
• Previous experience in supervising/teaching students 
• Critical thinking and problem solving 

Desirable criteria 

• Experience with stem cell culture, flow cytometry or confocal microscopy. 
• Experience in animal work and holder of personal animal license. 
• Experience in working with human samples and consenting patients. 
• Experience with single-cell technologies. 
• Experience with bioinformatic analysis.