Research Associate

Job reference: BMH-032265
Salary: UoM Grade 6 £37,694 - £46,049 pro rata depending on relevant experience
Faculty/Organisational Unit: Biology, Medicine Health
Location: Oxford Road
Employment type: Fixed Term
Division/Team: Division of Cancer Sciences
Hours Per Week: Full time (1 FTE)
Closing date (DD/MM/YYYY): 08/09/2026
Contract Duration: Fixed term for 12 months
School/Directorate: School of Medical Sciences

We are seeking a highly motivated and enthusiastic Postdoctoral Research Associate with an interest in human plasma proteomics to join a pioneering project exploring the links between genetics and hypertension. This post creates a unique opportunity to generate high quality plasma proteomics data on a large patient cohort using mass spectrometry approaches. The postholder will then analyse these data, including appropriate quality control, and work with a wider team to integrate these data with additional relevant measurements, including genotypic and clinical data.

The successful candidate will play an important role in developing and demonstrating the effectiveness of mass spectrometry-based proteomics at scale for human cohort studies, including the potential for large-scale multi-omics research for determining mechanisms underlying disease, such as protein-wide association studies. Excellent technical and organisational skills are essential, along with a passion for collaborative, data-driven research that contributes to improving people’s health.

You will be responsible for:

• To take initiative in the planning of research and drive forward the progress of the project.
• To retain responsibility for the appropriate organization, storage and management of research samples, including Human Tissue Act-relevant material where appropriate.
• To plan and execute protein extraction and preparation protocols and liaise with colleagues for data generation.
• To conduct data analysis using a range of software and statistical tools.
• We welcome candidates who bring diverse perspectives, experiences, and approaches to their work.

About You
We encourage applications from individuals with a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. You should demonstrate:

Essential Criteria:

• Hold (or expect to hold shortly) a PhD in a relevant area of research
• Extensive and up-to-date theoretical and practical knowledge in mass spectrometry and/or protein quantitation
• Experience of mass spectrometry analysis of human-derived samples from large cohort studies, with proteomics experience strongly preferred.
• Experience in analysis and quality control assessment of mass spectrometry-based proteomics data

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience in interpreting disease-related proteomics data, in particular processes related to age-related diseases or vascular health
• Experience in data analysis using DIA-NN
• Experience in pathway analysis and enrichment software, including but not limited to STRING, Reactome.
• Experience in establishing data analysis workflows and scripts in R.
• We value transferable skills and real-world experience as much as formal qualifications.

Our benefits include:

• Generous employer contribution pension
• 29 days annual leave plus bank holidays, along with Christmas closure
• Ride to work and EV car scheme available

For more information, please see University of Manchester Benefits. You can also find information on our Flexible and Hybrid working here.

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Enquiries about the role, shortlisting and interviews
Name: Professor Richard Unwin
Email Address: r.unwin@manchester.ac.uk

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