"Research Assistant/Research Associate (Fixed Term)"

The BioNano Engineering headed by Prof. Ljiljana Fruk (fruk-lab.com) and Microbiology Group headed by Dr. Graham Christie are looking for an outstanding postdoctoral research associate for a project focused on development of live biotherapeutics for reprogramming of pancreatic cancer microenvironment. This position is funded by UKRI Interdisciplinary Award in collaboration with University of Nottingham and University of Glasgow.

Pancreatic cancer has a complex and heterogeneous tumour microenvironment (TME) rendering it unresponsive to most conventional therapies. The TME is composed of multiple interacting biomolecules which form a dense matrix, and in addition to cancer cells there are immune cells including tumour associated macrophages (TAMs), natural killer (NK) and CD8+ T-cells which play a significant role in regulating tumour growth and resistance to treatment. Current treatments largely fail to consider the dynamic nature of the TME, leading to poor patient outcomes.

The primary challenge addressed by this cross-disciplinary project is the need for more effective and targeted therapies for PDAC. Traditional treatments focus on eliminating cancer cells, but this approach often fails due to the protective role of the TME. The project aims to reprogram the stroma (the supportive tissue surrounding the tumour) rather than directly targeting the cancer cells, thereby overcoming the limitations of current therapies.

The main aims is to develop a new concept in cancer therapy that uses engineered bacteria to reprogram the tumour stroma. The specific objectives are:

• Engineering bacteria to produce compounds that release immunomodulators.
• Deploy responsive polymers that can be co-injected with bacteria and used to control the release of bacterial activators on-demand when activated by ultrasound
• Validate the efficacy of this approach using 3D culture models of PDAC to demonstrate the potential for clinical application.

Appointment at Research Associate level is dependent on having a PhD; those without a PhD will be appointed at Research Assistant level. Those who have submitted but not yet received their PhD will be appointed at Research Assistant level, which will be amended to Research Associate once the PhD has been awarded.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 2 years in the first instance.

To apply online for this vacancy and to view further information about the role, please click the 'Apply' button above.

If you have questions on the application process, please email Mr Vito Candela, HR Administrator, at hr@ceb.cam.ac.uk.

Applications closing date 23rd of March 2026.

Please quote reference NQ49057 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.