Postdoctoral Research Associate

at  Kings College London

Job id: 084932. Salary: £43,205 - £46,732 per annum, including London Weighting Allowance.
Posted: 21 February 2024. Closing date: 20 March 2024.
Business unit: Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine. Department: SCMMS Guys.
Contact details: Professor Shanta Persaud. shanta.persaud@kcl.ac.uk
Location: Guy’s Campus. Category: Research.
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Job description
Applications are invited for a 2.5-year Post-Doctoral Research Associate position working on a project funded by Diabetes UK entitled ‘Defining novel regulators of human beta cell specification for transplantation therapy of type 1 diabetes’. The successful applicant will work under the supervision of Prof. Shanta Persaud and Dr. Aileen King in the Diabetes Theme within the School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine & Sciences at King’s College London. The project will use information from our spatial transcriptomic analysis of human fetal pancreas development to inducibly overexpress genes in human induced pluripotent stem cells to improve the generation of functional stem cell-derived beta cells. We will then apply our expertise in beta cell/islet biology to carry out functional analyses of stem cell-derived islets in vitro and in vivo.
The successful candidate will have a PhD in a relevant biomedical sciences subject and have expertise in human stem cell (ES or iPS) differentiation protocols, preferably to beta cells and/or experience of assessment of function of islets of Langerhans. The main responsibilities will be human stem cell culture, lentiviral inducible overexpression of genes in pancreatic endocrine progenitor cells and differentiation to beta cells, configuring stem cell-derived beta cells into functional islet-like structures, assessment of stem cell-derived islet function in vitro (quantification of ATP generation, calcium fluxes, insulin secretion, apoptosis, etc.) and in vivo (maintenance of normoglycaemia in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice). This post-doctoral associate post will be held within a vibrant islet biology research community at the Guy’s campus of King’s College London.
Further information about ongoing islet biology research in the Specialism of Diabetes at King’s College London may be found here: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/research/islet-biology. Specific queries relating to the post can be directed to shanta.persaud@kcl.ac.uk.
This post will be offered on a fixed-term contract, with proposed employment dates of 01/06/2024 - 30/11/2026.
This is a full-time post - 100% full time equivalent.
Key responsibilities
Undertake laboratory research to achieve the project objectives.
Liaise with external collaborators as required.
Keep accurate written and electronic records of all work undertaken.
Analyse data, carry out statistical analyses and provide supervisors with regular updates.
Liaise regularly with the project supervisors to ensure that timelines and milestones are met.
Integrate within the wider section of Diabetes at King’s College London.
Supervise MSc &BSc students and lab visitors where required.
Present work at national and international conferences, and to the Patient and Public Involvement Steering Group.
Contribute to writing and submitting manuscripts based on the research carried out.
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 in a relevant biomedical sciences subject.
• Post-doctoral research experience in a molecular cell biology discipline.
• Human cell culture.
• a) Human stem cell differentiation protocols, preferably to beta cells OR b) Isolation and functional analysis of islets of Langerhans or beta cells.
• Using mouse models in experimental research (preferably in metabolic studies).
• General molecular cell biology techniques, including qRT-PCR, immunohistochemistry, immunoassays.

Desirable criteria

• Experience of islet transplantation into mice.

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
Interviews will be held in March. Candidates will be notified at least 5 days prior to the interview if they have been shortlisted. We would like the successful candidate to start on 01 June 2024.
This post is subject to Occupational Health clearance.

Please refer the Job description for details