Laboratory Research Scientist

Location: The Francis Crick Institute, Midland Road, London

Contract: Permanent/Fixed term, Full time

Salary: From £36,535 with benefits, subject to skills and experience

About us

The Francis Crick Institute is Europe’s largest biomedical research institute under one roof. Our world-class scientists and staff collaborate on vital research to help prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, infectious diseases and neurodegenerative conditions. 

To learn more about the Crick, click here.

About the role

What you will be doing

The Schmack Lab investigates the biological mechanisms underlying psychosis, with the goal of developing new biological treatments for psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia and uncovering how the brain generates perceptions and thoughts. We work at the intersection of psychiatry, neuroscience, and immunology, committed to visionary and rigorous science that pushes the boundaries of biological understanding relevant to mental illness.

You will be working on patient samples to develop assays for detecting autoantibodies targeting the brain. This will be a bench-based role in which you will be working closely with a postdoctoral fellow or senior research scientist and be part of a highly interdisciplinary group.

The role will involve contribute to projects that develop and apply in vitro immunological assays and transcriptomic profiling in serum and CSF from individuals with psychosis. The causal role of identified immune alterations will then be investigated using in vivo mouse models.

This is an exciting opportunity for a scientist with cell culture experienced, at any stage, particularly for early-career researchers looking to gain hands-on experience prior to a PHD.

As a Laboratory Research Scientist  at the Crick, you will: 

• Conduct and support research on immunological assays for biosamples from patients with psychosis. This includes carrying out experiments independently as well as under supervision of a more senior lab member. Experimental techniques range from tissue processing and preparation, ELISA, plasmid production, cell transfection, flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy.
• Actively support and maintain a positive and motivating lab atmosphere.

About you

You will bring

• MSc or equivalent qualification in Biology, Neuroscience, Immunology or related fields
• Enthusiasm for translational research on psychosis and for basic immunology and neuroscience
• Experience with basic laboratory techniques (e.g., immunohistochemistry, tissue fixation, ELISA)  
• Excellent organisation and communication skills, ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a highly multi-disciplinary team

About Working at the Crick… 

Our values  

• We are bold. We make space for creative, dynamic and imaginative ideas and approaches. We’re not afraid to do things differently. 
• We are open. We’re highly collaborative and interactive, and make sure our activities are visible to the outside world. 
• We are collegial. We show respect for one another, work cooperatively and support the wider community. 

At the Crick, we believe that diversity and inclusion are essential to driving innovation and scientific discovery. If you need assistance with your application, please contact weronika.kucala@crick.ac.uk

To read more about our EDI approach, click here.  

What will you receive?  

We value our team members and are proud to offer an extensive range of benefits to support their well-being and development. You can find out more about what we offer here.

To apply, please click on the ‘Apply’ button above.

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