Research Assistant

About us

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/cancer/

About the role

Understanding the spectrum of cancer complexities and their translation to therapeutic benefit is intimately dependent on preclinical models that accurately reflect tumour ecosystems, heterogeneity and patient diversity. This cannot be achieved with existing preclinical models.

Existing preclinical models for cancer including genetically inbred mice, Patient-Derived Xenograft (PDX) mice, organoids and multi-cellular models cannot capture the full spectrum of cancer complexity needed for driving effective therapeutic translation. Live human tumour cultures offer a powerful alternative as they preserve the microenvironment of real tumours including stromal elements, immune infiltrates and vasculature networks while also accommodating sub-clonal/clonal heterogeneity and patient diversity. Despite this potential, live tumour culture methods have not, as yet, been widely adopted in the cancer research community, with explanations ranging from a reluctance to change reliance on existing models to lack of awareness, lack of confidence in tissue stability and limited access to fresh patient tissue.

INTREPID (IN vitro TumouR Explant models for evaluating cancer complexity and Patient Diversity) will tackle the barriers associated with widespread adoption of live human tumour culture models to drive a step change in their use in the cancer research community. By implementing INTREPID, we aim to ensure that live human tumour culture methodologies are widely adopted and sustained as models of choice for basic and applied cancer studies in academia and industry.

The role will be available until November 2028 in the first instance.

Applications should include a CV and a Cover Letter: In the Cover Letter, please provide evidence of the essential and desirable criteria in the Person Specification part of the Job Description. (By including a Cover Letter, you can leave blank the 'Why you have applied for this role' field in the application form, which is limited in the number of characters it will allow.)

We welcome applications from all candidates. Please note that applicants requiring Skilled Worker sponsorship should be aware that this role is not normally considered eligible for sponsorship under current UK immigration rules. Applicants who would require sponsorship to take up this role should be aware that UCL is therefore unlikely to be able to sponsor an appointment to this post.

About you

You will have a degree in Biomedical Sciences or a related discipline, with experience handling human tissue and/or blood samples. You will be highly organised, with excellent record-keeping skills and the ability to manage competing priorities effectively.

You will be a strong communicator who can collaborate with colleagues and clinical teams while also demonstrating the initiative to work independently. The successful candidate will be proactive, adaptable, and committed to delivering high-quality research with integrity.

Experience in patient consenting, working with surgical teams, or a higher degree (e.g. MSc) would be advantageous.

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