Postdoctoral Research Assistant

About the Role
Applications are invited for a full-time Postdoctoral Research Assistant to investigate mechanical sensing and mechanical memory in cardiac muscle cells and its involvement in cardiovascular disease.

Cardiovascular diseases are the major cause of mortality worldwide, yet there is still a lack of effective treatments. Recent research increasingly emphasised that changes to mechanical sensing and signalling critically influences the disease onset and progression.

The position will be based at the Iskratsch lab in the Centre of Bioengineering at Queen Mary University of London and is part of a recently funded British Heart Foundation Special Project Grant in collaboration with Prof Sanjay Sinha at the University of Cambridge and Prof Ben Goult at the University of Kent, whereby one PDRA will be embedded in each group and work together towards the collaborative goal to decipher mechanical memory as driver for cardiac disease progression across the scales from single molecule5 to tissue level.

About You
The successful candidate will be highly motivated, collaborative and have expertise in bioengineering, cell and/or cardiovascular biology. Prior experience in bio- and/or nanofabrication as well as stem cell culture and differentiation is highly desirable.

About the School and Project
This post is within the School of Engineering and Materials Science (SEMS) at Queen Mary University of London, where the successful candidate will have access to a large range of equipment including state-of-the art microscopes, bio- and nanofabrication equipment, mechanical and structural characterisation and equipment for mechanical stimulation. You can find out more about our School here: QMUL School of Engineering and Materials Science.

The Iskratsch group is exploiting cutting-edge nanotechnological and biophysical approaches to characterise mechanotransduction and mechanical memory at a cellular and single adhesion scale, whereby the groups in Kent and Cambridge harness their expertise to investigate the processes at single molecule and the tissue scale, respectively. To reach the collaborative goals, the teams will be in regular contacts for coordination, exchange of data and resources.

Benefits
We offer competitive salaries, access to a generous pension scheme, 30 days’ leave per annum (pro-rata for part-time/fixed-term), a season ticket loan scheme and access to a comprehensive range of personal and professional development opportunities. In addition, we offer a range of work life balance and family friendly, inclusive employment policies, flexible working arrangements, and campus facilities including an on-site nursery at the Mile End campus.

The post is based at the Mile End Campus in London. It is a full-time, fixed-term appointment for 3 years, with an expected start date of 8th of January 2024. The starting salary will be Grade 4, £40,223 per annum inclusive of London Allowance.

Informal enquiries should be addressed to Thomas Iskratsch at t.iskratsch@qmul.ac.uk.

To apply for the role, please click the ‘Apply’ button.

The closing date for applications is 02 November 2023.

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