Job description

We are looking for a postdoc to undertake an exciting project combining bioinformatics, single cell RNA-seq, Frac-seq and cell biology to further our knowledge of severe asthma. We want to understand how the airways of patients with severe asthma undergo changes upon treatment, with the aim of revealing novel biological pathways that will inform us about potential avenues of intervention. 

We also want to understand how treatment affects the antiviral response of these patients against respiratory viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, rhinovirus, RSV or flu. This project will be nearly entirely done with clinical samples, so we believe this to be an exciting opportunity for someone with an interest in translational research that sits between molecular biology and clinical intervention. 

This project is a close collaboration between the University of Southampton (Dr Hitasha Rupani, Dr Emily Swindle and Dr Cornelia Blume) and King’s College London (Dr Rocio T Martinez-Nunez). The post holder will be based at Guy’s Campus, within the Dept of Infectious Diseases at King’s College London, within the Martinez-Nunez lab. We are looking for someone that has previous experience with RNA-seq analysis, preferably single cell RNA-sequencing, and that can blend well with our labs.

The postholder will work closely with others in our group, so we are looking for someone that enjoys team working. Knowledge and experience with cell biology and molecular biology are also essential. We have our local HPC at King’s College London (Rosalind), and plenty of local resources and collaborations that the postdoc will benefit from to further their training and career, including seminars, conference attendance and workshops to develop a wide range of lab and non-lab skills. 

We also have very good facilities on site, such as the Nikon Centre, Flow core (including CyTOF) and genomics cores. Our lab specialises in understanding post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression during inflammation and infection in the context of asthma. We are excited to employ someone that wants to learn and bring their expertise, and we encourage contacting the PIs for informal requests about this post.   

This post will be offered on an a fixed-term contract for 2 years 

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

Key responsibilities

•        Perform, analyze and integrate single cell RNA-sequencing and Frac-seq in clinical samples   

•        Design, develop and evaluate experiments in their project under supervision but with a good degree of independence 

•        Communicate with the teams effectively and seamlessly  

•        Keep up with scientific literature 

•        Co-supervise student rotations 

•        Write up of 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  

1.      PhD in molecular biology, cell biology, bioinformatics or a related discipline 

2.      Experience with RNA-sequencing analysis using open-source pipelines 

3.      Experience with cell culture 

4.      Knowledge of cell biology  

5.      Knowledge of molecular biology 

6.      Good organizational skills and work ethos 

7.      Independency to troubleshoot, evaluate and design protocols 

8.      Critical thinking  

9.      Communication skills 

Desirable criteria

1.      Experience with single cell RNA-sequencing 

2.      Experience with clinical sample handling/GCP 

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

Candidates will be shortlisted based on their application; selected candidates will undergo a panel interview that includes a presentation, and will meet our teams.