"Research Associate - Epithelial Cell Extrusion"

About Us

The Rosenblatt lab studies how epithelia maintain a functional barrier and proper cell numbers, despite turning over at high rates by cell death and cell division. We found mechanics control both opposing processes: when cells are too sparse, stretch activates cell division and when too many, crowding activates cell death by ‘epithelial cell extrusion’. While we first discovered extrusion as a process that eliminates dying cells without creating any gaps within the epithelium, we later discovered that most epithelial cells die as a result of live cell extrusion. Due to the significant role extrusion plays in epithelial cell death, a variety of diseases, ranging from bacterial and viral pathogenesis, asthma, and cancer, can result when it is misregulated. Inflammation and infection can result from excess extrusion whereas aberrant basal cell extrusion (back into the tissue epithelia encase) can drive cell invasion and de-differentiation in a class of aggressive tumours. We are currently using organoids and mouse lung slices to investigate the fate of cells that invade by basal extrusion and the signalling that drives this.

The Rosenblatt lab is within the Randall Centre for Cell & Molecular Biophysics which is situated within the School of Basic & Biomedical Sciences (BMBS) and is part of the Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine. It is involved in a wide range of fundamental research projects at the interface between biology, biomedicine, chemistry and physics.

About The Role

The research associate will be selected to investigate how metabolism and mitochondrial membrane potential impacts epithelial cell extrusion of normal and transformed cells.

This is a full-time post (35 hours per week), and you will be offered a fixed term contract until 31st January 2027 with a start date no sooner than 1st February 2026.

The role is based onsite.

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 qualified in relevant subject area
2. Must have at least 5 years training in cell biology techniques
3. Must have 5 years training on mitochondrial cell biology
4. Must have a good understanding of mitochondrial derived compartments
5. Good working knowledge of live and imaging techniques and analysis.
6. Experience with metabolomics and analysis
7. Good presentation and writing skills
8. Good ability to reason through results from project

Desirable criteria

1. Good at managing students
2. Knows about viral infection pathways

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.

Grade and Salary: £45,031 - £49,871 per annum inclusive of London Weighting Allowance
Job ID: 133606
Close Date: 04-Jan-2026
Contact Person: Jody Rosenblatt
Contact Details: jody.rosenblatt@kcl.ac.uk