Research Fellow/ Research Assistant (Cowan Team)

About us

Join Dr. Jennifer Cowan’s team at UCL’s Division of Infection and Immunity to explore how restoring thymus function could rejuvenate T-cell immunity in aging. This Wellcome Trust-funded Postdoctoral/Research Assistant role focuses on cutting-edge mouse models that prevent or reverse thymic involution, aiming to uncover how these changes impact immune responses in the elderly. You'll play a key role in a project with real-world implications for improving age-related immunity and guiding future regenerative therapies. Be part of a collaborative, impactful effort to reshape our understanding of immune aging.

About the role

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Cowan Lab in exploring one of the key challenges in immunology: how aging impacts the thymus and, in turn, the immune system. Using advanced genetic models and cutting-edge techniques, you’ll investigate whether restoring thymic function can improve immune responses in older individuals. From dissecting the roles of thymic epithelial cells to mapping how T cells are shaped over time, your work will directly contribute to understanding—and potentially reversing—age-related immune decline. Whether you're a research assistant or a postdoctoral researcher ready to drive forward an ambitious project, this role offers the chance to uncover fundamental biological mechanisms that govern immune function across a lifespan.

About you

We’re looking for someone who is ambitious, motivated, and passionate about immunology—particularly the fundamental questions surrounding how the immune system changes with age. You should enjoy working at the bench, with a hands-on approach to experimental design, data collection, and troubleshooting. Strong attention to detail, good organizational skills, and a proactive mindset are essential. We value individuals who thrive in a collaborative environment and are excited to contribute to a multidisciplinary team. Whether you’re a PhD student preparing to take the next step into a postdoctoral role, a recent graduate (BSc, MSc, or MRes) looking to gain hands-on lab experience as a research assistant, or an experience scientist eager to contribute to meaningful research, we’d love to hear from you.

Appointment at grade 7 is dependent upon having been awarded a PhD; if this is not the case, initial appointment will be at the Research Assistant Grade 6B with payment at Grade 7 being backdated to the date of final submission of the PhD thesis.

Please see the attached job description and person specification for full details. Please also read the attached Candidate Guidance document.

All applications must include a supporting statement to explain your motivation for the post and providing evidence using examples to showcase how you meet the essential criteria listed in the job description. Applications without a supporting statement will be rejected.

If you have any queries about the role or application process, have any technical issues, or need reasonable adjustments or a more accessible format to apply for this job online, please contact the staffing team at .

What we offer

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

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. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.

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