Research Assistant

Salary: £33,002 to £33,951 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: 13 November 2025

The Role

An exciting opportunity arises to contribute to internationally leading research on severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) and related inborn errors of immunity.

The postholder will join Prof Sophie Hambleton and team at Newcastle University’s Translational and Clinical Research Institute, in research funded by the MRC. The overall aim is to discover novel genetic causes of SCID together with their underlying molecular and cellular mechanism(s). The post-holder will encounter a wide range of techniques, spanning flow cytometry, bio-imaging and immunoblotting, multi-omic analysis and cellular assays, applied to primary human cells and disease models. Resulting insights will inform both immunobiological understanding and precision medicine, while the post-holder will be well-positioned to apply for doctoral research fellowships 

This post is funded by the UK Medical Research Council and is for one year in the first instance

For informal enquiries contact: Prof Sophie Hambleton: sophie.hambleton@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.

Key Accountabilities

• 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 (in the case of Research Associate)
• 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
• Undertake training in advanced research skills necessary for delivery of the role
• Contribute to promotion of a safety culture within the laboratory, including the development of SOPs and BIOCOSHH forms

The Person

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Ability to work well as part of a team and rapidly acquire new skills
• Detailed knowledge of T cell immunobiology
• Advanced skills 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 experience or awareness of the research environment
• Excellent organizational and time management skills
• Specific experience in tissue culture, molecular biology and imaging techniques
• Experience supervising undergraduate or postgraduate research students

Desirable

• Experience working with in vivo models
• Bioinformatics analysis of quantitative datasets using R
• Presentations at conferences and/or high-quality publications

Attributes and Behaviour

• Commitment to team science
• Openness to continuous learning and development
• Willingness to adopt leadership responsibilities appropriate to skills and experience
• Highest standards of probity and commitment to delivering reproducible scientific outputs
• Professionalism

Desirable

• Commitment to a career in scientific research  

Qualifications

• BSc in relevant subject required  
• MRes or equivalent in relevant subject required  

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: 28685