"Research Assistant/Associate"

We are a world class research-intensive university. We deliver teaching and learning of the highest quality. We play a leading role in economic, social and cultural development of the North East of England. Attracting and retaining high-calibre people is fundamental to our continued success.

Salary

Research Assistant: £33,002 to £34,610 per annum.

Research Associate: £35,608 to £46,049 per annum.

The Role

Your role as a Research Assistant/Associate will be to lead preclinical research into new treatment strategies for Malignant Rhabdoid Tumours (MRT), a rare and aggressive childhood cancer. You will help develop and characterise advanced patient-derived tumour models and use them to test promising therapeutic targets that exploit vulnerabilities caused by loss of the SMARCB1 gene. This role offers an excellent opportunity to further develop experience in in vivo modelling, molecular profiling, and drug testing, with access to state-of-the-art facilities and expert support. You will also benefit from tailored training and mentoring, and work closely with national and international collaborators, making this an ideal position for a postdoctoral researcher looking to build a strong foundation in translational cancer research.

The project aims to establish a robust and standardised platform for testing new therapies in MRT, addressing a major gap in the development of effective treatments for this disease. By building a diverse panel of well-characterised tumour models, the research will identify and validate new drug targets that are specifically lethal to tumour cells lacking SMARCB1. The ultimate goal is to generate high-quality evidence to support the inclusion of novel therapies in clinical trials, and to improve outcomes for children affected by MRT.

This post is fixed-term for a period of 3 years.

For informal enquiries contact: Dr Daniel Williamson (daniel.williamson@ncl.ac.uk) and/or Dr Rebecca Hill (rebecca.hill@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/.