Research Associate

About the role

Are you a protein engineer or tumour immunologist who wants to see your molecules move towards patients with advanced prostate cancer? We are looking for a Research Associate to lead a Prostate Cancer UK-funded programme combining a T cell engager with another immunotherapy in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).

T cell engagers can promote mCRPC regression, but responses are rarely durable: CD3 engagement delivers signal 1 without the co-stimulation that T cells need to persist. To overcome this challenge, combination strategies with inflammatory molecules will be tested alongside the engineering of novel design to trigger a complete and robust T cell activation. Any design and ideas will have to be explored thoroughly through rigorous validation of efficacy, mechanism and tolerability with the aim to bring this project to clinical translation with a clinical development partner.

What you would be doing

• Design, express and purify bispecific antibody and protein fusion constructs in mammalian expression systems, and characterise them by SEC, SPR/BLI, DSF and functional binding assays.
• Run primary human T cell and NK cell assays — cytotoxicity, activation, exhaustion phenotyping, polyfunctionality and repeat-stimulation models.
• Deliver in vivo efficacy, biodistribution and tolerability studies in syngeneic and humanised mouse models of prostate cancer, including dose-sparing and dosing-interval regimens and pre-specified vascular and drug safety endpoints.
• Analyse tumour microenvironment changes by flow cytometry, immunofluorescence and spatial transcriptomic profiling, and integrate the results into a coherent mechanistic picture.
• Take the lead in writing papers and reports to Prostate Cancer UK, present at national and international meetings, and contribute to patent filings, follow-on grant applications and translational discussions with our partners.

What we are looking for

• A PhD (or close to completion) in immunology, protein engineering, bioengineering, cancer biology or a closely related discipline.
• Hands-on experience of recombinant protein expression and purification, and of biophysical or biochemical characterisation of the proteins you make.
• Experience of primary immune cell assays and/or in vivo tumour models; a UK Home Office personal licence, or willingness to obtain one, is an advantage.
• The judgement to design experiments that answer a question — including the ones that could show the hypothesis is wrong — and the rigour to interpret them honestly.
• Excellent written and spoken communication, and the collaborative instincts to work well with students, clinicians and industrial partners.

What we can offer you

• A funded, well-defined three-year programme with a clear translational endpoint, in a group whose previous matrix-targeting work has moved from the bench into clinical development.
• An established collaborative network across clinical oncology, structural biology and industry, and active support in applying for your own fellowship funding.
• A purpose-built research environment at the White City Campus, with access to Imperial’s protein production, imaging, flow cytometry, single-cell and in vivo facilities.

Further Information

This is a full-time post) fixed-term contract for up to 24 months. The expected start date is [1 January 2027], or as soon as possible thereafter.

*please note, if you are yet to receive your PhD, you will be appointed as Research Assistant (£45,399 - £48,876)

If you require any further details about the role, please contact: Dr Jun Ishihara — [j.ishihara@imperial.ac.uk].

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