"Research Associate"

Department: Department of Infectious Diseases

The Department of Infectious Diseases brings together researchers and students to understand the pathogenic mechanisms, diagnosis and treatment of human infections.

Our research bridges our strengths in laboratory-based enquiry using molecular genetics, metagenomics, biochemistry, cell biology, bioinformatics and structural biology, with rich clinical resources in microbiology, virology, sexually transmitted diseases and clinical trials.

A major thread running through our research is understanding how viruses and bacteria interact with and subvert their human hosts to replicate and transmit, and how infection- and vaccine-induced immunity protects us in the face of new and ever-evolving pathogens.

The Wanford Group, led by Dr Joseph Wanford, is a molecular microbiology and infectious diseases research group based within the Department of Infectious Diseases at King’s College London, specialising the pathogenesis of antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections.

About the role

The bacterial pathogen Klebsiella pneumoniae (Kp) is a major antibiotic-resistant pathogen responsible for high levels of mortality worldwide. Development of novel therapies and preventative vaccines is hampered by an incomplete understanding of the pathogenesis of Kp infection. The extracellular polysaccharide capsule is a major Kp virulence determinant, but the molecular regulation of its expression during infection remains poorly understood. The Wanford group uses comparative genomics, molecular genetics and infection biology techniques to understand how Kp regulates expression of the capsule to transition between states of asymptomatic colonisation and invasive disease.

We are seeking a driven Research Associate with a strong infection biology skillset to lead a high impact project with two key aims: (1) defining bacterial factors required for systemic dissemination (2) characterising the regulation of capsule expression during transition between host compartments.

The successful candidate will combine cutting-edge in vitro and in vivo infection models, and both microscopy and flow cytometry-based readouts of infection to develop their independent research project and will also be expected to collaborate more widely within the group, department, and with external collaborators. The candidate will be expected to contributed data and writing to peer reviewed manuscripts and will be supported for applications for independent fellowships towards the end of the post.

This is a full time post (35 hours per week), and you will be offered an fixed term contract for 24 months, starting no earlier than 1st October 2025.

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

1. PhD in a relevant subject (molecular microbiology, cell biology, immunology etc) *
2. Prior experience with bacterial pathogens
3. Proven ability to design, implement and analyse experiments
4. Experience with eukaryotic cell culture systems
5. Experience with in vivo infection models
6. Capacity to work independently and as part of a collaborative team
7. Excellent verbal and written communication skills (i.e., documented by presentations at academic meetings and track record of publications in peer-reviewed journals and/or preprints)
8. Excellent organisational skills, academic integrity, and rigor

* 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.

Desirable criteria

1. Currently hold a home office license; PIL AB
2. Advanced molecular microbiology skills, including DNA/RNA extraction, PCR/qRT-PCR, genetic manipulation of bacterial pathogens (plasmid construction, transformation, generation of deletion mutants)
3. Experience in fluorescence microscopy and/or flow cytometry

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.

Further Information

We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community.

We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King's.

As part of this commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion and through this appointment process, it is our aim to develop candidate pools that include applicants from all backgrounds and communities.

We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the advert. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.

To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our ‘How we Recruit’ pages.

This post is subject to Occupational Health clearance.