Research Fellow

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 Bartels lab fills the gap for scientific research on synuclein multimers and lipidomics associated with Parkinson’s Disease in close collaboration with the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery and the Queen Square Brain Bank. The Bartels laboratory is dedicated to understanding the biochemical nature of α-synuclein in healthy and diseased patients.

We are now recruiting a Research Fellow to work on a research project involving the role of the gut-brain axis in Parkinson’s disease, with focus on neuro-immune interaction in the CNS and ENS. You will be responsible for isolation of protein from human and murine tissue, FACS sorting of cell population shifts in this tissue, in vitro aggregation assays, and will carry out immunohistochemistry and single-cell and spatial transcriptomics.

The post is available from 01 May 2026 and is funded by the UK DRI at UCL for one year 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 Tim Bartels (t.bartels at ucl.ac.uk).

For a full job description please visit UCL’s online recruitment portal (https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/search-ucl-jobs) and search using vacancy reference B02-09442. To apply, please upload a current CV, complete the online application form, and use the supporting statement section or upload a cover letter to outline how you meet the essential and desirable criteria for the role. Please do not upload any additional attachments as these will not be considered by the selection panel.

You will have a PhD, MD, or equivalent research experience in Biochemisry, Molecular Biology, or a related discipline, and experience with murine models of synucleinopathy. A background and knowledge in one or more of the following is essential: Neurodegeneration, synucleinopathies, biochemical analysis such as detergent extraction and Western Blot, neuro-immune interactions, IHC. You’ll also have strong communication and interpersonal skills, and be resourceful and able to act on your own initiative.

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 £39,148 - £41,833 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: B02-09442

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