Overview
Postdoctoral Research Associate – Strand, London, WC2R 2LS
About us:
The School of Neuroscience is UK’s 2nd largest Neuroscience school with over 500 researcher and 200 PhD students. It is one of three schools at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience. We are ranked 4th in the world for the total number of publications in neuroscience, 4th for the number of publication outputs in top 5% citations in neuroscience, and 4th for top 5% citations in neurology.
Our academic and research staff are integral to our school. Their work is supported by a group of Professional Services staff members within the departments as well as at the school level. We support staff members requiring flexible working arrangements and reasonable adjustments. Upon consultation at the points of recruitment and onboarding, we will strive to provide the best adjustments for you.
We strongly encourage our staff to dedicate time to their professional development through training courses and participation in working groups and networks. We also encourage our staff to seek mentoring outside their direct line management. Mentoring, both via formal and informal arrangements, allows individuals to fully explore their career situation and development. Our weekly school circular regularly captures and promotes opportunities open to all staff.
About the Wolfson Sensory, Pain and Regeneration Centre (SPaRC)
The Wolfson SPaRC (Sensory, Pain and Regeneration Centre) is one of four departments in the School of Neuroscience at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience. The department, formerly known as the Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, is located on the Guy’s Campus in a dedicated building which was generously supported by the Wolfson Foundation.
Research in the department spans three main themes: Chronic Pain & Migraine, Spinal Cord & Brain Repair, and Hearing Loss & Sensory Systems. Our fundamental mission is to understand the biological mechanisms behind these neurological and sensory disorders and harness this knowledge to develop new therapeutic strategies. We have world-leading experts who interrogate these conditions at the genetic, molecular, cellular, and whole systems level. Cross-cutting strengths lie in our world-leading expertise in neuroplasticity, interdisciplinary neuro-immune research, high-throughput sequencing technologies, drug discovery and advanced therapeutics. We have excellent facilities to support our parallel use of pre-clinical cell and in vivo models, alongside human cellular models, which provide an essential platform for us to forward- and back-translate our fundamental research to and from the clinic.
About the role:
We are seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher to join a team led by Dr Matthew Swire at the Wolfson Sensory, Pain and Regeneration Centre (SPaRC), in the School of Neurosciences at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London.
The successful candidate will undertake a range of experiments aimed at elucidating the roles of glial cells in brain plasticity under both physiological and pathological conditions. This work will involve in vivo mouse studies, electrophysiological recordings, cell culture techniques, and advanced microscopy.
The postholder will be responsible for the accurate recording, analysis, and interpretation of experimental data, as well as the preparation of results for presentation and publication. In addition, they will contribute to the smooth running of the laboratory by supporting and collaborating with other team members.
We are therefore seeking a motivated and conscientious researcher with a strong commitment to high-quality science, excellent organisational skills, and a collaborative approach to teamwork.
This is a full time post, and you will be offered a fixed term contract until 30/06/2028
Research staff at King’s are entitled to at least 10 days per year (pro-rata) for professional development. This entitlement, from the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers, applies to Postdocs, Research Assistants, Research and Teaching Technicians, Teaching Fellows and AEP equivalent up to and including grade 7. Visit the Centre for Research Staff Development for more information.
About you:
To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:
Essential criteria
- PhD in neuroscience
- Knowledge and experience of white matter biology
- Experience with ex vivo electrophysiology recordings (compound action potential recordings)
- Experience with immunohistochemistry, electron microscopy, confocal microscopy
- Experience working with and managing transgenic mouse colonies
- Home office Personal Licence
- Experience with glial cell cultures
Desirable criteria
- Experience applying/receiving grants or awards
- Evidence of excellent research capabilities
- Teaching experience within a university setting
Downloading a copy of our Job Description
Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the page. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.
* Please note that this is a PhD level role but candidates who have submitted their thesis and are awaiting award of their PhDs will be considered. In these circumstances the appointment will be made at Grade 5, spine point 30 with the title of Research Assistant. Upon confirmation of the award of the PhD, the job title will become Research Associate and the salary will increase to Grade 6.
IMPORTANT: Before applying for this role, please make sure you have the right to work in the country where the role is based. Unless it clearly stipulates within in the job advert above that the hiring company is looking to or able to sponsor applicants it is deemed that the hiring employer will only consider applications from those able to comply with and work in the country where the role is based.
