Research Assistant - Rare renal diagnosis and therapies

Salary: £32,296 to £33,882 per annum, pro rata

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: 05 January 2025

The Role

Following recent success in securing an EU HORIZON funded programme called Therapies for Renal Ciliopathies (TheRaCil, https://theracil.eu/), we are seeking a Research Assistant to join our internationally renowned multi-disciplinary team in Newcastle. 

This position provides an opportunity for a Research Assistant to develop their career within a team that brings together clinicians and academics in a vibrant translational research environment that works closely with patients and their families.
(https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/siblings-who-developed-kidney-failure-17535415 https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/health/newcastle-university-kidney-research-sayer-15431046, Three Hexham siblings with kidney failure finally get answers thanks to Newcastle University genetics team - Chronicle Live).
 

Your role will be in rare disease research and translational research and we are looking for an individual with experience with cellular models of human disease. We are looking for an exceptional individual to lead on laboratory molecular techniques as well as perform in vitro experiments and interpret the findings.  You will be a highly motivated, enthusiastic career research assistant with strong multidisciplinary experience gained in range of different environments.

The project is built around renal ciliopathies, a group of inherited cystic kidney diseases that represent around 10% of all patients with kidney failure. The most prevalent form worldwide is called autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) secondary to mutations in the cystogenes PKD1 and PKD2. Cystogenesis secondary to these mutations is driven by upregulated cAMP which can be modified in animal and human studies by arginine vasopressin antagonists such as tolvaptan. Pharmacological treatments and genetic interventions that prevent or switch off the disease are still lacking. Therapies for the related autosomal recessive (AR) disorders ARPKD and nephronophthisis is completely lacking despite shared disease mechanisms. Collectively these disorders are termed renal ciliopathies. TheRaCil, aims to use models of renal ciliopathy diseases to drive translational research and bring treatments to the clinic within the next 5 years. 

This post is offered on a fixed term, part time basis (24 hours per week), for a period of 24 months. 

For informal enquiries contact: John Sayer, john.sayer@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/

Please note that if you are successful to this role, you will require medical clearance before you can commence in the role.

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

•    Contribution to the research programme of the School/Institute under the clear guidance of a member of an 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 in the relevant area
•    Good level of analytical skills and the ability to communicate complex information clearly, both orally and through the written word
•    The ability to work collaboratively with colleagues
•    The ability to use personal initiative and creativity to solve research problems
•    Tissue culture skills, i.e., beyond standard cell lines, for exam culture and manipulation of human primary cells, stem cells
•    Fluorescence microscopy skills, e.g., confocal immunohistochemistry – both cell and tissue/organ based
•    Experience with development of new techniques to address specific research questions
•    Appreciation of the regulatory landscape – animals and patients
 

Attributes and Behaviour

•    Good organisational and record keeping skills, with the ability to plan and prioritise tasks to meet deadlines
•    Ability to contribute ideas and enhancements to develop the project and further research objectives
•    Ability to work collaboratively in a multidisciplinary team, but also show strong independent working

Desirable

•    Demonstrate enthusiasm towards scientific engagement.
•    Confidence and willingness to support and guide research students and junior members of staff.
•    Good level of analytical and problem-solving capability 

Qualifications

•    Good honours degree (or equivalent) with some subject knowledge in the relevant area

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: 27824