Research Fellow in Immunity in Alzheimer’s Disease

The UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI) is the biggest UK initiative supporting research to fill the major knowledge gap in our basic understanding of the diseases that cause dementia.

Based within the UK DRI at UCL, the De Strooper/Arancibia group focuses on understanding the fundamental mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases, with a particular emphasis on the cellular phase of Alzheimer’s disease, the neuro-immune axis, and single-cell genomics.

We are looking for a motivated postdoctoral researcher to join our team investigating how Alzheimer’s disease (AD) risk genes influence microglial function in disease. The project focuses on the antigen-presenting role of microglia in amyloid pathology and the immunological impact of MHC-II–mediated responses in the brain.

You will use a wide range of techniques, including our unique human microglia xenograft model (PMID: 31659342, 38539015), and work closely with both computational and experimental teams at the Francis Crick Institute and VIB, Leuven.

This is a unique opportunity to contribute to high-impact research in a world-class, collaborative environment.

The post is available from 01 September 2025 and funded by the Medical Research Council until 31 March 2028 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 (ion.hradmin at ucl.ac.uk).

Informal enquiries regarding the role can be addressed to Dr Lorena Arancibia (l.carcamo at ucl.ac.uk).

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 B02-08808.

You’ll have a PhD in Immunology, Neuroscience, or a related field, with experience with macrophage and/or microglia biology and knowledge of molecular biology, cell biology, immunology, or related disciplines, as well as proficiency in cell culture and cell biology techniques, with a strong understanding of immunology and/or antigen presentation.

Experience with animal experiments, particularly in handling and working with mice, is also essential for this role.

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 £38,607 - £41,255 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.

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.

Customer advert reference: B02-08808

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