Research Assistant (Fixed Term)

The Department of Oncology has an exciting opportunity funded by Cancer Research UK for a motivated research assistant with a can-do approach to join our passionate and dedicated team in the Fitzgerald lab, Early Cancer Institute. Working as part of the research team under supervision of Dr Ahsen Ustaoglu, you will support translational research focused on early oesophageal cancer detection. The ideal applicant will have excellent attention to detail and a proactive attitude. 

The postholder will contribute to biomarker development, assay validation using molecular and immunological techniques on patient-derived samples. This role provides excellent experience in translational cancer research and clinical biomarker development in a world-leading research group.  

Applicants must have a degree in a related field and working experience in relevant experimental procedures, for example protein assays such as ELISA, immunohistochemistry, and DNA extraction. The role holder must also have excellent communication skills with a proven track record of interacting effectively within interdisciplinary teams (biomedics, clinicians, computer scientists, etc), and an interest to become familiar with the cancer biomarker discovery field. 

The post will be based in the newly redeveloped Early Cancer Institute building which we expect to occupy from June 2026. It is an exciting time to join the Department and the postholder will play a key role in assisting with the move back to the building from our current temporary accommodation. 

The Department of Oncology is home to around 260 staff and students representing a range of disciplines and categories, with the majority based on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, either in the Early Cancer Institute or office space in Addenbrooke's Hospital. 

We are keen to recruit the right person to this busy role and we welcome informal enquiries to au280@cam.ac.uk 

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available until 1 May 2027 

Closing date: 28th February 2026 

Please note: We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications before the advertised closing date. We therefore encourage early applications to avoid disappointment.

To apply online for this vacancy and to view further information about the role, please click 'Apply' above.

Please ensure that you upload a covering letter and CV in the Upload section of the online application. The covering letter should outline how you match the criteria for the post and why you are applying for this role. If you upload any additional documents which have not been requested, we will not be able to consider these as part of your application.

Please include details of your referees, including email address and phone number, one of which must be your most recent line manager.

Please quote reference RD48776 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.

The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.

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