Research Assistant: Systems neuroscience

at  Newcastle University

Salary: £31,396 to £32,982 per annum
Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits . We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.
Closing Date: 06 October 2024
The Role
This position offers an exciting opportunity for a Research Assistant to join our team working on a project, jointly funded by LifeArc, the Motor Neurone Disease Association and the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, to identify novel disease modifying therapies for MND/ALS. To achieve this, several compounds, shown in vitro to block the pathological effects of mislocalised/aggregated TDP-43, will be tested in a novel macaque model of MND/ALS developed recently in our lab. The Research Assistant will be responsible for: the day-to-day care and training of the animals; molecular assays of tissue (blood, CSF, etc,) obtained in vivo; histology, genomic and proteomic analysis of post mortem tissue; and the curation and analysis of the large datasets generated.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES:

Contribution to the research programme of the School/Institute under the clear guidance of a member of academic staff or Principal Investigator
Use initiative and creativity to analyse and interpret research data and draw conclusions on the outcomes
Co-ordinate own work with that of others, deal with problems which may affect the achievement of research objectives and contribute to the planning of the project(s)
Present information on research progress and outcomes to a Principal Investigator or groups overseeing the research project
Write up results from own research activity and provide input into the research project’s dissemination, in whatever form (report, papers, chapters, book)
Work to deadlines and manage, with support, competing priorities
Ensure that personal knowledge in relevant fields of study is kept up to date
Use research resources (including, where required, laboratories, workshops and specialist equipment) as appropriate
Maintain academic standards and freedom, and work in accordance with university policies (e.g. equal opportunities, health and safety policies)
Possible supervision and demonstration duties within undergraduate laboratories and example classes or in teaching small seminar classes
Undertake relevant training and development activities to develop capacity for taking on wider responsibilities
Develop, with advice, an awareness of own professional development needs and a personal development strategy
The Person
Knowledge, Skills and Experience
Some subject knowledge relevant to neurodegenerative diseases, particularly ALS/MND
Good level of analytical skills, particularly data analysis (i.e., familiarity with Matlab, Python, etc.), and the ability to communicate complex information clearly, both orally and through the written word
The ability to work collaboratively with colleagues as part of a team and to encourage the commitment of others
The ability to use personal initiative and creativity to solve research problems and rapidly acquire new skills
Experience of research with clear transferable skills and some experience or awareness of the research environment
Advanced skills directly related to the research project
Experience of at least 2-3 of the following techniques: behavioural experiments in non-human primates, histology, immunohistochemistry and mammalian electrophysiology
Attributes and Behaviour
Ability to work well in a team
Self-motivated and able to work independently
Good organisational and communication skills
Qualifications
Good honours degree (2.1 or above) in neuroscience, biomedical sciences, natural sciences, or equivalent, with some subject knowledge in neuroscience
Desirable
May possess (or be working towards) a higher research degree
Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.
We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society. We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.
At Newcastle University we hold a silver Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality. We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC. We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.
In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe.
Requisition ID: 2740

Please refer the Job description for details