We are looking for a 12-months postgraduate research assistant (at 0.8 FTE) to provide research assistance and technical support as part of a Fellowship project titled “Environmental priming of immune regulation: implications for host health”. Most of the knowledge of how the immune system works stem from controlled laboratory studies in semi-sterile conditions.
Our overall aim is to better understand how immune regulation, particularly at barrier sites such as the gut and the skin, is shaped by variable ecological factors, from the microbiome to seasonal weather changes. We address this fundamental question by doing longitudinal mark-recapture studies including terminal sampling in a wild population of house mice on the Isle of May, Scotland, between August-December each year.
The position will involve small mammal trapping on the Isle of May, analysis of samples from various organs for immunological metrics, data analysis and synthesis, contribution towards paper manuscripts, supporting the supervision of students, and day-to-day running of the laboratory. Experience in all these aspects is not required, but willingness to learn is.
The opportunity
This 12-months post at 0.8 FTE will be undertaken in the lab of Iris Mair in the Institute of Evolution and Ecology at the School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh. The research assistant will be based at the Kings Buildings, University of Edinburgh, but the wider project is interdisciplinary, being also supported by Prof. Amy Pedersen and Prof. Kathryn Else.
The successful candidate will work as part of a large, interdisciplinary research team, specifically focused on using a wild house mouse system – the same species as laboratory mice - to better understand what shapes immune regulation at barrier sites in an uncontrolled, natural setting.
The postgraduate research assistant will be leading the immunological data analysis and synthesis including optimisation of novel techniques, as well as conducting fieldwork as part of a team and managing the day-to-day lab tasks.
This post is advertised as part-time (28 hours per week), with a start date of 01 September 2024. Post is available for 12 months.
Your skills and attributes for success
- Bachelor degree in Biology, Immunology or Zoology, or a closely related field
- Experience in several immunological techniques e.g. ELISA, flow cytometry, primary cell culture, and immunofluorescence
- Experience in performing fieldwork involving small mammal live-trapping
- Basic data analysis using Excel, GraphPad Prism and R
- Ability to work collaboratively as a part of an active research team
What we offer
As a valued member of our team you can expect:
- A competitive salary of £32,982 - £38,205 pro rata
- An exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to work.
- To be part of a diverse and vibrant international community
- Comprehensive Staff Benefits, such as a generous holiday entitlement, a defined benefits pension scheme, staff discounts, family-friendly initiatives, and flexible work options. Check out the full list on our staff benefits page (opens in a new tab) and use our reward calculator to discover the total value of your pay and benefits
Championing equality, diversity and inclusion
The University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. We are members of the Race Equality Charter and we are also Stonewall Scotland Diversity Champions, actively promoting LGBT equality.
Prior to any employment commencing with the University you will be required to evidence your right to work in the UK. Further information is available on our right to work webpages (opens new browser tab)
The University is unable to sponsor the employment of international workers in this role. International applicants will therefore be unable to apply for and secure a Skilled Worker visa. They will only be able to take up this role if they can demonstrate an alternative right to work in the UK.
Key dates to note
The closing date for applications is 8 May 2024. Interviews will be held in May/June 2024.
Unless stated otherwise the closing time for applications is 11:59pm GMT. If you are applying outside the UK the closing time on our adverts automatically adjusts to your browsers local time zone.
About us
As a world-leading research-intensive University, we are here to address tomorrow’s greatest challenges. Between now and 2030 we will do that with a values-led approach to teaching, research and innovation, and through the strength of our relationships, both locally and globally.
As the modern inheritors of our 400-year-old reputation for excellence, our staff and students contribute to a vibrant academic community whose visions are shaping tomorrow’s world. The School of Biological Sciences is at the leading edge in teaching, research and innovation. Independent rankings such as the Times Higher Education consistently place us amongst the top 25 universities in the world for biological sciences.
We aim to ensure that our culture and systems support flexible and family-friendly working and to recognise and value diversity across all our staff and students. The School has an active programme offering support and professional development opportunities for all staff. We place a particular focus on development for early-career researchers (postgraduate and postdoctoral research staff and personal fellowship holders), offering mentoring and an active ‘BioDocSoc’ organisation that brings together researchers for networking, events and training opportunities.
The School of Biological Sciences holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance the representation of women in science, mathematics, engineering and technology.
