Research Associate (Mass Spectrometry-based Metabolomics)

Location: Hammersmith Hospital Campus

Job Summary

An exciting Research Associate position has opened to discover metabolic mediators associated with the transition from health to imminent disease in relation to the nutrition-microbiome-metabolite-immune axis and the transition from health to disease as part of the IMMEDIATE consortium.

We are looking for a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Mass Spectrometry – based Metabolomics to join the Division of Systems Medicine headed by Prof. Dumas and characterise the human metabolome in relation to the microbiome and inflammation as part of the IMMEDIATE Consortium. The postholder will undertake a high-resolution mass spectrometry-based of the metabolome of the IMMEDIATE volunteers to investigate the diet-microbiome-metabolome-immune axis.

Duties and responsibilities

The postholder will coordinate metabolic profiling by high-resolution accurate mass spectrometry on human clinical studies in the IMMEDIATE consortium; and they will collaborate with other consortium partners on the development of the concept diet-microbiome-metabolome-immune axis and its role in the transition from health to disease.

The project includes optimisation of chromatographic and mass spectrometric conditions, metabolite identification, development of a comprehensive standards database and metabolomic analysis in human biofluids. The project will focus particularly on global profiling of the human metabolome in various matrices. They will contribute to developing and implementing ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS) to profile the metabolome, enhance metabolite identification and how these metabolites contribute to the transition from health to disease. The project will have a special focus on i) identification of microbiome-derived bioactive metabolites involved in the diet-microbiome-metabolite-immune axis, ii) assessing how this axis plays a role in the transition from heath to disease, iii) defining whether this axis is conserved with the transition to disease and whether the axis changes with age.

The postholder will play a role in influencing the project. Based on findings, the role may include development of new analytical, chemoinformatic or bioinformatic workflows, management, and population of pure chemical standards databases and/or biological mechanism hypothesis generation.

The postholder will also help coordinate metabolomics activities among projects within the Division of Systems Medicine, helping with data generation and integration with other omics datasets produced as part of the section and division activities.

Essential requirements

You must have a PhD in Analytical Chemistry, Biochemistry or related field with a strong expertise in mass spectrometry for metabolomics. You will need to have experience in interdisciplinary research and managing large integrated development projects.

Further Information

This is a full time and a fixed -term role until the 31/12/2026 based in Hammersmith Hospital Campus

*Candidates who have not yet been officially awarded their PhD will be appointed as a Research Assistant within the salary range £40,694 - £43,888 per annum.

Hybrid working may be considered for this role.  Staff working in roles that are suitable for hybrid working will normally be expected to work 60% of their time onsite. The opportunity for hybrid working will be discussed at interview.

More information is available on the following web page: Work Location Categories (from 30 September 2023) | Administration and support services | Imperial College London

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