Research Associate in Chemical Biology

Salary: £33,966 to  £44,263  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: 07 October 2024

The Role

We are seeking a highly motivated Post-Doctoral Research Associate to join our dynamic Chemical Biology team in the group of Prof Akane Kawamura in the School of Natural and Environmental Sciences at Newcastle University. This exciting role focuses on the discovery, development, and evaluation of cyclic peptide inhibitors/ligands against therapeutically relevant protein targets. This post is funded by the European Research Council.

The role is fixed term for 12 months.

For informal queries please contact Professor Akane Kawamura akane.kawamura@newcastle.ac.uk

Key Accountabilities

•    Contribute to the innovation of the technology platform towards more efficient hit identification and optimisation
•    Carry out biochemical / biophysical assays to assess activity of cyclic peptides against biological targets and use a combination of synthetic chemistry and peptide synthesis to develop them into better compounds for the specific purpose to investigate biological questions
•    Contribute to the smooth running of the group, acting as a source of advice and information. Provide supervision for other group members, assisting them in planning their research and giving specialised training as required
•    Ensure intellectual rigour and adherence to robust ethical standards to maintain integrity of research

The Person 

Knowledge, Skills and Experience 

•    Have expertise in medicinal chemistry or peptide chemistry
•    Experience in biophysical / biochemical characterisation of proteins
•    Be able to demonstrate a high level of expertise and success in the previous research areas, e.g. by an excellent publication (or papers in press or equivalent) track record in high quality peer reviewed journals. Evidence will be sought of a deep understanding of the applicant's previous fields of research and evidence of independent intellectual and practical contributions to previous research projects, as indicators that such attributes can be brought to bear on present projects and the development of future projects
•    Have an excellent general knowledge of related areas through reading of the literature, online database searching, and attendance at seminars and conferences
•    Have excellent communication skills in English in writing and in oral and visual presentations
•    Ensure research and record keeping is carried out in accordance with good practice, Scientific Integrity and in compliance with local policies and any legal requirements
•    Show an ability to undertake research with a high degree of independence, manage your own research and report on progress at regular intervals
 

Attributes and Behaviour

•    Have expertise in medicinal chemistry or peptide chemistry
•    Experience in biophysical / biochemical characterisation of proteins
•    Be able to demonstrate a high level of expertise and success in the previous research areas, e.g. by an excellent publication (or papers in press or equivalent) track record in high quality peer reviewed journals. Evidence will be sought of a deep understanding of the applicant's previous fields of research and evidence of independent intellectual and practical contributions to previous research projects, as indicators that such attributes can be brought to bear on present projects and the development of future projects
•    Have an excellent general knowledge of related areas through reading of the literature, online database searching, and attendance at seminars and conferences
•    Have excellent communication skills in English in writing and in oral and visual presentations
•    Ensure research and record keeping is carried out in accordance with good practice, Scientific Integrity and in compliance with local policies and any legal requirements
•    Show an ability to undertake research with a high degree of independence, manage your own research and report on progress at regular intervals

Qualifications

•    Hold a PhD in Biochemistry / Chemistry / Chemical Biology or a related area (or have submitted a PhD thesis prior to taking up the appointment)

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: 27227