Scientific Officer 2: Patient Derived Tumour Cultures for Cancer Precision Medicine

Duration: Fixed term until 30 November 2025 (in first instance)

About the role:

Our Cancer Biomarker Centre (CBC) led by Prof Caroline Dive CBE aims to enhance clinical trials of new anticancer drugs through translational research. Immunotherapy is currently a rapidly expanding research area in oncology and profiling of patient samples is essential to predict responses, identify candidate biomarkers and personalise therapy aimed at harnessing the immune system to target the tumour.

We are seeking a Scientific Officer 2 to work within the CBC Translational Immunology Laboratory on the Cancer Precision Medicine Theme of the Manchester Biomedical Research Centre. Working with a team of scientists and under the guidance of senior scientists, the post holder will be required to develop an ex vivo platform to predict and investigate immunotherapy benefit by establishing immune-competent cultures from patient-derived tumour fragments and analysing activation of tumour-resident immune cells. The post-holder will analyse various endpoints including T-cell expansion, reactivity and repertoire, cytokine production and cancer cell viability, using techniques such as flow cytometry, ELISA and T-cell receptor sequencing.

About you:

You should be educated to degree level in a biosciences subject, (or have equivalent relevant experience). Although training in specialist techniques will be given as required to acquire the necessary skill sets, you will have experience in a range of molecular biological techniques and in tissue culture including primary culture. Experience with techniques used for analysis of the immune system, such as flow cytometry, ELISA or T-cell receptor sequencing would be an advantage along with presentation skills. You will have relevant experience working in a Life Science Laboratory, along with effective communication skills and be computer literate. A general knowledge of cancer biology and/or immunology is essential. You should be motivated, organised and willing to work as part of a large multidiscipline team and possess key qualities which include independent thinking and good communication skills.

About Manchester Biomedical Research Centre

The National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) funds Biomedical Research Centres (BRCs) as experimental medicine centres of excellence via competitive application every five years. Manchester Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) has recently been renewed to provide experimental medicine infrastructure funding across Greater Manchester, Lancashire and South Cumbria.

Contracted by the NIHR, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT) host the BRC in partnership with the University of Manchester and also with The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust, Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust, Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Manchester BRC drives forward experimental medicine across a range of research themes which are grouped into four clusters: Inflammation, Cancer, High Burden Under Researched Conditions and Disease Complexity as areas where the region has demonstrable strength and which will work collaboratively to improve patient outcomes and embed, build and accelerate personalised health and care for all.

Please apply online via the ‘Apply Now’ button. Please give the names of two referees and ensure you submit your application before the closing date.

Closing date: 5 February 2023, 11:59pm.

For any informal enquiries about this post, please contact Simon Hood: simon.hood-2@cruk.manchester.ac.uk

Apply link: https://www.cruk.manchester.ac.uk/recruitment/candidate/searchvacancies

Advert information