MRC Postdoctoral Research Scientist in Molecular Mechanisms of Disease LMS 2483

at  Medical Research Council

Open Date
13/09/2024, 10:00
Close Date
06/10/2024, 23:55
Research Institute
MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences
Research Institute / Unit Information
The LMS is a world-class research laboratory where scientists and clinicians collaborate to advance the understanding of biology and its application to medicine. Funded by the MRC as part of UK Research and Innovation, the LMS has a collaborative working culture and new state-of-the-art building based in the heart of West London in the Hammersmith Hospital Campus (W12).
The LMS aims to deliver transdisciplinary team science, in synergistic interaction with Imperial College and the wider national research environment. Part of achieving this, is to recruit new talent and support postdoctoral scientists to become world leaders in their area of science.
UK Research and Innovation is a new entity that brings together nine partners to create an independent organisation with a strong voice for research and innovation, more information can be found at www.ukri.org
Band

MRC - 4

Location
London
Salary
£39,375 plus London allowances (£3,913 & £1,472) per annum
Allowances
Additional allowances comprise a £1,000 lump sum Settlement Allowance plus a yearly Training Allowance of £850 in the first year, paid in monthly instalments. The Training Allowance increases to £1,300 in year two, and £1,800 in the third year.
Contract Type
Fixed Term
Job Type
Science
Full Time / Part Time
Full Time
Contract Length
3 years
Job Description

KEY SKILLS:

• Background in the field of gene regulation and/or developmental genetics
• Experience in cell culture and common techniques in molecular biology
• Experience in high-throughput chromosome conformation capture (cHi-C) is an advantage
• Experience in CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing is an advantage
• Experience in mouse genetics and microscopy imaging is an advantage

EDUCATION / QUALIFICATIONS / TRAINING REQUIRED (WILL BE ASSESSED FROM APPLICATION FORM):

Essential:

• PhD (or equivalent) in Molecular Genetics or a closely related discipline

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE (WILL BE ASSESSED FROM APPLICATION FORM AND AT INTERVIEW):

Essential:

• Background in the field of gene regulation and/or developmental genetics with a track record of relevant publications and presentations
• Experience in cell culture and common techniques in molecular biology
• Excellent written communication skills in English and the ability to write clearly for publication

Desirable:

• Previous experience in high-throughput chromosome conformation capture (cHi-C)
• Previous experience in CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing
• Previous experience in mouse genetics
• Previous experience in microscopy imaging
• Previous experience in single-cell RNA sequencing

PERSONAL SKILLS / BEHAVIOURS / QUALITIES (WILL BE ASSESSED AT THE INTERVIEW):

Essential:

• Ability to conduct reproducible research
• Ability to conduct a detailed review of recent literature
• Ability to develop and apply new concepts
• Creative approach to problem-solving
• A keen interest in learning new skills
• Excellent verbal communication skills in English and the ability to deal with a wide range of people
• Ability to motivate others to produce a high standard of work
• Ability to organise own work with minimal supervision
• Ability to prioritise own work in response to deadlines
• Advanced computer skills, including word-processing, spreadsheets and the internet
• Willingness to work as part of a team and to be open-minded and cooperative
• Flexible attitude towards work
• Discipline and regard for confidentiality and security at all times
• Willingness to undertake any necessary training for the role

Further Information
Applicants should submit a CV, a brief cover letter describing scientific interests and names and contacts of two scientific references. Please quote reference number LMS 2483.
Applications without a supporting covering letter will not be considered.
The MRC is a unique working environment where scientific researchers and professional support staff can actively partake in world class innovation and collaboration opportunities and their skills and knowledge through accessing a wide catalogue of training & development, including professional registration with the Science Council.
In addition, MRC (part of UKRI) provides its community of employees access to a whole host of useful benefits, including a defined benefit pension scheme and excellent holiday entitlement (30 days plus 2.5 privilege days & 8 bank holidays), family friendly policies (6 months full pay maternity & adoption leave), a range of shopping/travel discounts, access to our Employee Assistant Programme Scheme, Health and Wellbeing Support and a salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. Please follow this link to find out more - Benefits
Our success is dependent upon our ability to embrace diversity and draw on the skills, understanding and experience of all our people. We warmly invite people from diverse backgrounds and heritage, including people who identify as having a disability, to apply for a role that excites them. As “Disability Confident” employers, we guarantee to interview all applicants who have disclosed they have a disability and who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy.
UKRI supports research in areas that include animal health, agriculture and food security, and bioscience for health which includes research on animals, genetic modification and stem cell research. Whilst you may not have direct involvement in this type of research, you should consider whether this conflicts with your personal values or beliefs.
We will conduct a full and comprehensive pre-employment check as an essential part of the recruitment process on all individuals that are offered a position with UKRI. This will include a security check and an extreme organisations affiliation check. The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment

OVERALL PURPOSE:

The Genomic Variation and Disease Group works at the intersection of medical genetics, bioinformatics, and molecular biology to explore the mechanisms underlying human diseases. The group uses CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing and synthetic genomics for mouse or human genome rewriting to model disease-causing chromosomal structural variants (SVs) and study their functional consequences. Our challenge is understanding how this type of genomic variation affects molecular and cellular processes to influence organismal phenotypes.
We are looking for a talented postdoctoral research scientist with a background in molecular biology to join our team. As a key member, you will be part of our collaborative effort to explore novel SV-associated disease mechanisms. Your work will involve generating in vitro (cellular differentiation) and/or in vivo mouse models to investigate the molecular consequences of SVs impacting the noncoding genome.
At our newly established lab, we are committed to creating a welcoming and supportive environment where people of all backgrounds can thrive. We value diversity and collaboration and focus on conducting cutting-edge basic and translational science. We provide extensive on-the-job training as needed for the projects. At the LMS, we also offer excellent mentoring and support to help you reach your career goals. As a post holder, you will have the opportunity to work with an extensive network of collaborators, attend scientific conferences, and publish the results of your work in leading journals.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES:

The general responsibilities will include, but are not limited to, the following activities:

• Work with group members and collaborators as well as independently on experimental design, data analysis, visualization, and interpretation
• To prepare work for publication and grant submissions
• To present at seminars and conferences as necessary
• To contribute to the smooth running of the Group’s/Unit’s laboratories and, facilities with other scientists, clinicians, technicians and students within the laboratories
• To assist in the supervision of undergraduate and postgraduate research students and research assistants as required

Person Specification