Research Associate

at  Kings College London

Job id: 103906. Salary: £44,105 per annum, including London Weighting Allowance.
Posted: 13 January 2025. Closing date: 23 January 2025.
Business unit: Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine. Department: St John’s Institute of Dermatology.
Contact details: Sophia Karagiannis. Sophia.karagiannis@kcl.ac.uk
Location: Guy’s Campus. Category: Research.
About Us
The antibody discovery group wishes to appoint a Postdoctoral Research Assistant with knowledge of cancer immunology and experience in cell-based cancer, immunological or antibody functional assays, using technologies such as flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry or in vivo cancer models, to join its Cancer Antibody Discovery & Immunotherapy research programme. This position is funded the KCL spinout company, Epsilogen Ltd. The postholder will focus on developing and evaluating IgE-based cancer therapeutic agents for translation and commercialization. The post will be fully-integrated into the academic team’s translational research programme led by Prof. Sophia Karagiannis.
About the role
The antibody discovery group wishes to appoint a Postdoctoral Research Assistant with knowledge of cancer immunology and experience in cell-based cancer, immunological or antibody functional assays, using technologies such as flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry or in vivo cancer models, to join its Cancer Antibody Discovery & Immunotherapy research programme. This position is funded by Apollo Therapeutics. The postholder will focus on developing and evaluating antibody-based cancer therapeutic agents for translation and commercialization. The post will be fully-integrated into the academic team’s translational research programme led by Prof. Sophia Karagiannis.
The project will involve functional studies using in vitro/ex vivo flow cytometric assays and in vivo rodent models of cancer. The postholder will work closely with two appointed researchers, and liaise with our commercial, clinical and academic collaborators. The programme is conducted to specific deliverables and strict deadlines. Therefore, the position will suit a highly-motivated and focused team player, with strong communication and collaborative skills.
This is a full time post (35 hours per week), and you will be offered a fixed term contract until 28th February 2026.
About You
To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

Essential criteria

• BSc in Molecular Biology, Immunology, Biophysics, Biochemistry or related subject
• PhD awarded in Biological Sciences, Cancer Biology, Cancer Immunology, Molecular Biology, or equivalent of MSc in Biological Sciences, Molecular Biology, Cancer Biology, Cancer Immunology (or equivalent near completion)
• Experience in multiparameter flow cytometry
• Experience in antibody and immune cell functional, potency and efficacy assays and antibody effector function evaluations (e.g. ADCC, ADCP, mast cell degranulation, basophil activation cancer cell viability, cell signaling, other direct effects)
• Trained in the use of in vivo models of cancer (e.g. for cancer immunotherapy, such as antibody immunotherapies)
• Organised, highly motivated, focused towards high quality deliverables and able to meet strict deadlines
• Excellent team player able to work as part of an interdisciplinary team
• Ability to take initiative in problem solving and working independently
• 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.

Desirable criteria

• Isolation and purification of lymphocytes (e.g. monocytes, NK cells, basophils, B lymphocytes) and tumour cells from human and animal specimens
• Experience in immunohistochemistry/immunofluorescence
• Experience in ELISA-style assays

Downloading a copy of our Job Description
Further Information
We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community.
We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King’s. We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the advert. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.
To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our ‘ How we Recruit’ pages.
Interviews are due to be held in February.
We are able to offer sponsorship for candidates who do not currently possess the right to work in the UK.
This post is subject to Occupational Health clearances

Please refer the Job description for details