Research Associate in Epigenomics – UK Dementia Research Institute

About the role

Launched in 2017, the UK DRI stands as a beacon of scientific innovation, representing an unprecedented £300 million investment in dementia research—the largest of its kind in UK history.

Following a new collaborative UK DRI Key Questions Award with Dr Sarah Marzi (King’s), Dr Rikesh Rajani (Edinburgh), and Dr Dervis Salih (UCL), we are seeking to appoint a dynamic postdoctoral researcher to lead one or more projects to characterise the epigenome of oligodendrocytes and neuroimmune cell types in early Alzheimer’s and resilience to dementia using patient-derived samples. This post is funded for three years: the first 1.5 years based at Imperial on the White City Campus under the guidance of Dr Alexi Nott, where you will profile the epigenome of brain-derived oligodendrocytes and neuroimmune cell types. The second phase of the project will be in the lab of Dr Sarah Marzi, at the Denmark Hill Campus of King’s College London, to examine the epigenome of macroglia at single-cell resolution. You will contribute to the design and generation of large-scale ‘omics datasets with a primary focus on epigenomic analysis at cell-type-enriched and single-nuclei resolution to address major research questions relevant to Alzheimer’s and resilience to dementia.

What you would be doing

Using your experience in (epi)genomics of the brain, you will:

• Generate cell-type-enriched and single-nuclei CUT&Tag data from patient-derived brain tissue and stem cell model systems.
• Work collaboratively as part of a multi-site, multidisciplinary research team.

What we are looking for

We are seeking a motivated and organised researchers who is excited by the science we do! You will have:

• Experience in nuclei isolation, preferably from brain and/or human tissue
• Experience of fluorescence-activated nuclei sorting (FANS), and/or FACS
• Experience in epigenomics and/or single-cell genomic technologies.

What we can offer you

This role is part of the UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI) at Imperial College London, located in the Department of Brain Sciences. Postdocs in the UK DRI at Imperial enjoy excellent career development opportunities with:

• Access to a range of cutting-edge technologies.
• An inclusive and collegial working environment with the opportunity to mentor, supervise and teach students.
• Strong national links through the UK DRI with attendance at its annual scientific meeting ‘Connectome’.
• The opportunity to continue your career at a world-leading institution and be part of our mission to continue science for humanity.
• Grow your career: gain access to Imperial’s sector-leading dedicated career support for researchers as well as opportunities for promotion and progression.
• Sector-leading salary and remuneration package (including 41 days off a year and generous pension schemes).
• Be part of a diverse, inclusive and collaborative work culture with various staff networks and resources to support your personal and professional wellbeing.

Further information

This is a Full time fixed term role based at our White City Campus.

If you require any further details about the role, please contact: Dr Alexi Nott a.nott@imperial.ac.uk and Dr Sarah Marzi sarah.marzi@kcl.ac.uk

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