Research Assistant/ Associate (Stem Cell Biology)

Salary: 

Research Assistant £33,002  to £34,610 per annum

Research Associate £35,608 to £36,636  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: 12 December 2025

The Role

Do you have a passion for working with pluripotent stem cells? Are you looking to join a vibrant multi-disciplinary team working on pluripotent stem cell differentiation to retinal organoids?

We are looking for a motivated post-doctoral research assistant to work on immune phenotyping of hypoimmunogenic photoreceptors. This is a fixed term maternity cover replacement post.

We are seeking candidates with a PhD or master’s degree in developmental biology, molecular biology, neuroscience (or related areas) with experience in gene editing, pluripotent stem cell biology or immunology. Experience in retina or vision research is not necessarily required. To learn more about our work, Check out these recent publications on PubMed:

• PMID: 33657251
• PMID: 30681766
• PMID: 30004612
• PMID: 26608863

In this role, you’ll be based at our Newcastle Upon Tyne campus that has fantastic transport links and state of the art facilities. You’ll be joining a highly collaborative and diverse team of 15. We also collaborate with 5 other labs and strongly encourage public engagement on a monthly basis. 

The position is available from the 1st MArch 2026 fulltime for 35 weeks on a fixed term contract.  To apply for the position, we’ll need your CV and a personal statement outlining how you are suitable for the role using evidence to highlight how you meet the essential criteria in the knowledge, skills and experience as listed in the job description.

To find out more about our work please go to: Retinal Stem Cell Research - Institute of Genetic Medicine at Newcastle University

Annual stipend will be commensurate with experience and training.

For informal enquiries contact: Prof. Majlinda Lako (majlinda.lako@ncl.ac.uk)

Find out more about the Faculty of Medical Sciences here: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/

Find out more about our Research Institutes here: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/research/institutes/

As part of our commitment to career development for research colleagues, the University has developed 3 levels of research role profiles.  These profiles set out firstly the generic competences and responsibilities expected of role holders at each level and secondly the general qualifications and experiences needed for entry at a particular level.

Key Accountabilities

• Perform  the differentiation of hypoimmunogenic pluripotent stem cells to retinal organoids
• Assess the interaction of the hypoimmunogenic pluripotent stem cells and photoreceptors with immune cells using in vitro and in vivo assays
• Perform immunofluorescence analysis of retinas transplanted with human hypoimmunogenic photoreceptors, assessing both engraftment and activation of human immune system
• Perform data extraction and analysis and ensure full compliance with existing ethical regulations as appropriate
• Although working under the general guidance of an academic or Principal Investigator, the postholder will contribute ideas, including enhancements to the technical or methodological aspects of their studies, thus providing substantial 'added value'
• Develop and carry out the specified project using appropriate techniques and equipment as outlined in the personal requirements
• Determine appropriate methodologies for research, with advice and support where required

• Contribute to grant applications submitted by others and in time develop own research objectives and proposals for funding
• Begin to write, with appropriate support, proposals for individual research funding or, where funders do not permit this, contribute to the writing of collective bids
• Assess research findings for the need/scope for further investigations
• Contribute to the writing up of their research for publication and dissemination, either through seminar and conference presentations or through publications
• Present research findings, either at conferences or through publications in reputable outlets appropriate to the discipline
• May be involved in the supervision, with guidance, of final year undergraduate research projects and in providing support to postgraduate research students or Research Assistants
• Will need to work with the support staff and, on occasions, with undergraduate and postgraduate students, and interact intellectually with other academic members of the Institute.
• May contribute to events celebrating the public engagement of science/social sciences/humanities
• Develop an awareness of University structures, policies and procedures and relevant issues in the higher education, research, social and political environment

The Person

 Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Knowledge of stem cell biology or immunology
• Experience in differentiation of pluripotent stem cells
• Experience of tissue processing and immunofluorescence assays
• Ability to carry out research project work within agreed timelines, meeting project milestones and producing research to an appropriate standard
• Ability to work well as part of a team and rapidly acquire new skills
• Detailed subject knowledge  in stem cell biology, retina or immunology
• Likelihood of advanced skills directly related to the research projects
• High level of analytical and problem-solving capability
• Ability to communicate complex information with clarity and to encourage the commitment of others
• Experience of research with clear transferable skills and some experience or awareness of the research environment
• Presentations at conferences and/or high-quality publications
• Experience in immunological assays (Desirable)
• Experience of preparing research proposals for submission to competitive funding organisations *Desirable)
• Ability to present findings at leading conferences (Desirable)

Attributes and Behaviour

• Good team working
• Capable of excellent communication
• Able to work out of hours and weekends as required
• Ability to work independently and as part of the research project team
• Ability to prioritise key tasks

Qualifications

• Honours degree (or equivalent) with some subject knowledge in the stem cell biology and/or immunology (Research Assistant)
• A PhD in stem cell biology, immunology or related fields (Research Associate)

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 Gold 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: 28886