Postdoctoral Fellow in Pre cancer

Do you want to help us improve human health and understand life on Earth? Make your mark by shaping the future to enable or deliver life-changing science to solve some of humanity’s greatest challenges.

The Jones group are seeking a Postdoctoral Fellow to decipher how oncogenic mutations colonise normal human tissues. You will work at the leading edge of experimental functional cellular genetics, exploiting a new 3D culture epithelial system (1) together with CRISPR-Cas9 technologies and live imaging to study mutant cell competition and how it is influenced by environmental factors. The goal of the project is to find interventions that can deplete mutant cells from normal tissues in order to reduce the risk of developing cancer. This position is for a 3 year fixed term.

About Us:

The Jones lab are world-leaders in studying how oncogenic mutants spread through normal tissues in the earliest stages of cancer development (2) (3) (4) with pioneering studies on how such mutations alter stem cell behaviour. Our approach is to work in a multidisciplinary and collaborative manner, with a team of wet-lab experimental and data scientists who work closely to generate and analyse biological datasets that range from live imaging or single cell sequencing to whole genome screens. Our combined expertise in DNA sequencing, in vivo lineage tracing, advanced 3D cell cultures and CRISPR based gene-editing puts us in the ideal position to develop novel interventions to prevent cancer.

About You

You should have a PhD in cell biology, cancer or functional genetics, be experienced in cell culture techniques, have experience using CRISPR gene editing and ideally in running informatics packages. You should enjoy using innovative technologies to achieve your research goals and publish the results. You should have a proven track record of innovation and productivity, be a very collaborative team player, have excellent organisational skills, and strong verbal and written communications skills.

Joining us as Postdoctoral Fellow:

When you join us as a Postdoctoral Fellow, you will benefit from a unique and well-resourced learning environment that will equip you for your future career. We are proud to produce and analyse genetic and cellular data on a scale unmatched by other institutes in Europe to advance biological and medical science.

You will be part of a vibrant international Postdoctoral Fellow community at the Sanger Institute with a wide programme of transferable skills training and excellent career development opportunities. We are committed to:

-          Providing an enriching and respectful research environment so you can focus on and enjoy your work

-          Mentoring you and providing opportunities for you to network across the genomics scientific community

For more information about being a Postdoctoral Fellow - please visit: https://youtu.be/1-vxm2nBmFA

Essential Skills:

• PhD in cell biology, cancer biology, epithelial biology or related discipline

• A diverse range of research experience and technical skills in experimental molecular/cellular biology.

• Cell culture experience

• Excellent communication, organisational and presentation skills

• Excellent problem solving and troubleshooting skills

• Ability to work independently and organise own workload

• Ability to organise, plan and prioritise tasks or projects

• Demonstrate strong networking, influencing and relationship building skills

• Ability to communicate ideas and results effectively

•  Evidence of good productivity through publications.

• Demonstrates inclusivity and respect for all

Other information:

Salary per annum (dependent upon skills and experience): £35,707-£44,712

Application Process:

Please apply with your CV and a Cover letter outlining how you meet the skills set out above.

Closing Date: 5th March 2023

For informal inquiries, please contact Phil Jones

Working at Wellcome Sanger:

Our flexible-hybrid working environment is designed to support a healthy work-life balance. This means you can work flexibly with a combination of working from home, and working from our Campus to allow you to focus on being productive and part of the team while enjoying the benefits of working flexibly.

We aim to attract, recruit, retain and develop talent from the widest possible talent pool, thereby gaining insight and access to different markets to generate a greater impact on the world. We have a supportive culture with the following staff networks, LGBTQ+, Parents and Carers and Race Equity to bring people together to share experiences, offer specific support and development opportunities and raise awareness. The networks are also a place for allies to provide support to others.

We want our people to be whoever they want to be because we believe people who bring their best selves to work, do their best work. That’s why we’re committed to creating a truly inclusive culture at Sanger Institute. We will consider all individuals without discrimination and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees, where everyone can thrive.

Our Benefits:

We are proud to deliver an awarding campus-wide employee wellbeing strategy and programme. The importance of good health and adopting a healthier lifestyle and the commitment to reduce work-related stress is strongly acknowledged and recognised at Sanger Institute.