Research Associate in Neuropathology and Translational Neuroscience

An exciting opportunity has arisen for a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher with a background in molecular biology and neuropathology, to join our Motor Neurone Disease (MND) /Neurodegeneration clinical research programme. You will have the opportunity to be part of the NIHR Sheffield Biomedical Research Centre (Translational Neuroscience for Chronic Neurological Disorders) Junior Academy and gain an appreciation of a wide variety of translational neuroscience research programmes.

The focus of the role will be the neuropathological characterisation of newly identified genetic drivers of MND including CCDC146, WDR49 and ZNF839. All three genetic drivers have been identified through our approach joining cell biology with large scale genotyping via machine learning; see for example Zhang et al 2022, 2024. Neuropathology is essential to determine the relationship between newly discovered genetic drivers and pathological hallmarks of disease such as mislocalisation of TDP-43. Increasingly we are also utilising cutting-edge medium-high throughput technology such as spatial transcriptomics, spatial metabolomics and spatial proteomics.

You will also have the opportunity to develop your own research project aligned to the interests of the MND group. This could include new machine learning models or exploring a particular aspect of MND biology.

Main duties and responsibilities:

• Design, develop and refine methodology for characterisation of new and established neuropathological hallmarks of MND.
• Prepare papers for journals/presentations either in-house or at national / international conferences or seminars to disseminate research findings.
• Read academic papers, journals and textbooks and attend conferences.
• Contribute to research group planning.
• Coordinate and liaise with other members of the research group over work progress. Supervise research team/activities if required.
• Continuously monitor and check results with daily planning to accommodate new developments.
• Plan several months in advance to meet deadlines for journal publications and to prepare presentations and papers for conferences.
• Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post.

The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world-class university.

We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more.

Find out more at sheffield.ac.uk/jobs/benefits and join us to become part of something special.

We build teams of people from different heritages and lifestyles from across the world, whose talent and contributions complement each other to greatest effect. We believe diversity in all its forms delivers greater impact through research, teaching and student experience.