Research Fellow

About us

The Fratta Laboratory, based in the Department of Neuromuscular Diseases and at the Francis Crick Institute, focuses on understanding and developing therapeutic approaches for motor neuron diseases. The laboratory uses a combination of iPSC neurons, postmortem patient brain and mouse models to identify early RNA processing changes that are relevant to the disease and investigate novel approaches to correct them.

About the role

We have two exciting opportunities for a Research Fellow with expertise in RNA Biology – these will investigate both molecular dysfunction and novel gene therapy approaches for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This research will be conducted in a laboratory that combines cellular biology, molecular biology, and bioinformatics to address fundamental questions with translational relevance. The project will involve the use of cell lines, iPSC-derived neurons, and mice, to test cutting-edge approaches.

The posts are available from April 2024 and are funded by awards from LifeArc and Crick for two years in the first instance.

If you need reasonable adjustments or a more accessible format to apply for this job online, or have any queries regarding the application process, please contact the Institute of Neurology HR Team.

Informal enquiries regarding the role can be addressed to Professor Pietro Fratta.

For a full job description and to apply for this role please visit UCL’s online recruitment portal (https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/search-ucl-jobs) and search using vacancy reference B02-06591.

About you

You will hold a PhD degree in Molecular Biology, Neuroscience, or a related field, along with experience in library preparation for RNA-sequencing and other HT transcriptomic approaches. Additionally, experience in gene therapy, molecular cloning, and coding will be essential.

You will need to have strong written and verbal communication skills, excellent problem-solving abilities, good interpersonal skills, and be able to act on your initiative while being committed to supporting high-quality research.

This role meets the eligibility requirements for a skilled worker certificate of sponsorship or a global talent visa under UK Visas and Immigration legislation. Therefore, UCL welcomes applications from international applicants who require a visa.

What we offer

Appointment as Research Fellow is dependent upon having been awarded a PhD; if this is not the case, initial appointment will be as Research Assistant (salary £37,332 - £39,980 per annum) with appointment as Research Fellow being backdated to the date of final submission of the PhD thesis.

As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits; visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/reward-and-benefits to find out more.

We will consider applications to work on a part-time, flexible, and job share basis wherever possible.

This appointment is subject to UCL Terms and Conditions of Service for Research and Professional Services Staff. Please visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/human-resources/conditions-service-research-teaching-and-professional-services-staff for more information.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. 12% of Institute staff are actively working on EDI initiatives; visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/ion/equality-diversity-inclusion for more information about what we’re doing. We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce; these include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds, disabled people, LGBTQI+ and gender diverse people in all roles, and women in Grade 9 and 10 roles.

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