Research Fellow

Salary: Full-time starting salary is normally in the range £36,636 to £46,049. As this vacancy has limited funding, the maximum salary that can be offered is £42,254.

Contract Type: Fixed-term

We are looking for a talented and highly motivated postdoctoral research associate to join our multidisciplinary team led by Dr. Rossiter, including clinicians, bacteriologists, structural biologists and advanced microscopy and imaging specialists. The project will expand on our recent discovery showing that non-Helicobacter pylori bacteria invade the gastric lamina propria during pre-cancer of the stomach, known as gastric intestinal metaplasia (GIM) (further details can be found here: press release).

Working with GIM patient tissue samples from well-defined patient cohorts, the successful candidate will work in collaboration with Birmingham Tissue Analytics to localise and identify invasive bacteria. Platforms such as COMET and nCounter assays will be used to triangulate host immune responses to invasive bacteria. The successful candidate will use our infection model of patient-derived gastric organoid monolayers to determine the mechanism in which bacteria invade the gastric epithelium barrier. Scanning and Transmission electron microscopy will be used to visualise bacteria within this infection model, in collaboration with colleagues at the University of Oxford.

The successful candidate will work in the laboratory of Dr. Rossiter and work closely with Dr. di Pietro, who is a Consultant Gastroenterologist and Senior Clinical Investigator Scientist (University of Cambridge). Dr. di Pietro is an expert in the use of endoscopy-based methods for the identification and management of GIM. The success of this project will provide sufficient evidence to develop a novel antimicrobial treatment for GIM, which could prevent the development of GAC.

Person specification

• First degree in area of specialism and normally, a higher degree relevant to research area or equivalent qualifications
• Experience with tissue culture is essential and organoid culture would be desirable
• Expertise in fluorescent microscopy and image analysis tools (ImageJ)
• Experience in working with clinical samples
• Expertise in bacterial cell culture and infection models
• Experience using advanced spatial biology analysis tools, such as Phenochart, nCounter and COMET would be ideal, but not essential
• High-level analytical capability, especially in the integration of large imaging and immunological datasets
• Ability to communicate complex information clearly
• Fluency in relevant models, techniques or methods and ability to contribute to developing new ones
• Ability to assess resource requirements and use resources effectively
• Understanding of and ability to contribute to broader management/administration processes
• Contribute to the planning and organising of the research programme and/or specific research project
• Co-ordinate own work with others to avoid conflict or duplication of effort
• Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day-to-day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly

Informal enquiries to Amanda Rossiter, a.e.rossiter@bham.ac.uk

To download the full job description and details of this position and submit an electronic application online, please click on the Apply Online button.

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