Research Assistant

Job description

Context  

Cancer Research UK (CRUK) have awarded funding to the CRUK City of London (CoL) Centre to create a CRUK Radiation Research Unit (RRU). The unit will feature an ambitious research programme for radiation oncology and radiation biology called RadNet. This network, CRUK’s largest ever investment in radiotherapy research, aims to accelerate the development of advanced radiotherapy techniques, challenging the boundaries of this mainstay treatment through world-first exploratory projects.

 

RadNet core themes are:

• The mechanisms of radiation resistance, including cancer evolution and cancer stem cells.

• How the tumour microenvironment and immune system affect the response to radiotherapy.

• Advanced radiotherapy techniques, such as proton beam therapy and stereotactic radiotherapy, which uses multiple beams of radiation that converge on the tumour.

• Personalising radiotherapy using artificial intelligence and improved tumour imaging.

• Radiotherapy for children and young people’s cancers.

 

The CoL Centre is a world-class hub for cancer biotherapeutics. It brings together researchers from four of the central London Cancer Research UK centres: University College London, King’s College London, Barts / Queen Mary University of London and the Francis Crick Institute. This unique interdisciplinary and collaborative network will generate novel innovative therapies, diagnostics and stratification strategies in addition to providing a clinical and translational pipeline for cancer discovery science.

 

The London partners will also work closely with University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust and Barts Health NHS Trust.

 

Main purpose of the job

Interactions between components of the tumour microenvironment and immune system may determine radiotherapy response. This is an exciting opportunity to be involved in a project aiming to dissect these interactions and explore how they may be exploited, with a focus on the identification and characterization of novel diagnostic and/or prognostic biomarkers.

 

The main objective of the post-holder  will be to assist with the development of assays that address phenotypic changes in cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in response to radiation, and how they influence surrounding immune cells, primarily tumour-associated macrophages (TAMs). The successful candidate will be based in collaborative environment, and will interact with CRUK RadNet City of London’s collaborators. The post holder will have access to state of the art technologies such as mass cytometry and imaging platforms, working on samples from in vitro settings and tumours isolated from preclinical cancer models.

 

The post-holder will be primarily based in the Shields laboratory and supervised by Drs Jacqueline Shields and Rachel Evans.

 

This post will be offered on a fixed-term contract for 1 year 

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

 

Key responsibilities

•       Establishment of 2D and 3D in vitro cocultures consisting of cancer cells, CAFs and immune cells  

•       Establishment of in vitro radiation therapy protocols  

•       Multi-parameter flow cytometry of in vitro co-cultures and preclinical tissues 

•       Mass cytometry of in vitro co-cultures and preclinical tissues, assisting with panel optimization 

•       Processing and analysis of in vitro co-cultures and preclinical tissues using immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy 

•       Assist with lab organizational duties (e.g. organization of lab/cell culture stocks, mycoplasma testing) 

•       Maintain accurate, up to date records of findings 

 

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.       MSc in Cancer or related subject 

2.       Experience in tissue culture 

3.       Experience in preclinical tissue collecting/processing 

4.       Training and experience in flow cytometry 

5.       Knowledge and experience with cell biological techniques 

6.       Interest in cancer research 

7.       Hardworking and ability to prioritize work  

8.       Experience in following and adapting protocols 

9.       Willingness to learn new skills 

10.   Excellent communication skills, including analysis and presentation of data 

 

Desirable criteria

1.       Hold a Home Office personal license (or have passed personal licensee modules 1-4) 

2.       Experience of mass cytometry (sample preparation and downstream analysis) 

3.       Training and experience in confocal microscopy