Description Position Details Department of Dentistry, School of Health Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK Full time starting salary is normally in the range £36,130 to £45,413 with potential progression once in post to £48,149 Grade: 7 Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to November 2027 Closing date: 18th June 2025 'Open House' Drop In Session: We will be holding an ‘open house’ drop in session at the University’s Exchange building, in Centenary Square, Birmingham, between 10am and 5pm on Friday 6th June 2025. If you’re interested in working at the University of Birmingham and perhaps have a few questions, this is an opportunity to meet colleagues in the Recruitment team. It will be a relaxed and informal event – you can drop in at any time. Background To create and contribute to the creation of knowledge by undertaking a specified range of activities within an established research programme and/or specific research project. Role Summary We are seeking to recruit a Research Fellow at the School of Dentistry, University of Birmingham, with state of the art research facilities, working with Prof. Gabriel Landini and Dr Richard Shelton. This is a 29 months (ending 30 November 2027) collaborative project between the University of Birmingham and the University of Oxford, funded by the EPSRC aiming to develop understanding of enamel demineralisation to combat human dental caries. Research will be directed towards the following four areas of research: Procuring samples with incipient and artificial caries to be prepared for assessment by conventional high resolution techniques (SRCT, FIB-SEM, AFM, TEM). Prepare and analyse artificial demineralised lesions obtained under various etching conditions with multi-scale match to prototypes. Top-down 4D characterisation of enamel structural evolution using macro- using multiple techniques at macro-, micro- and nano- scale resolution in macro- and micro-fluidics setups to observe enamel etching. Use ‘zoom’ tomography and imaging to resolve structural variation across scales from 30μm down to 3nm to establish a platform for reverse bottom-up enamel remineralisation. Bottom-up multi-modal 4D observation of HAp biological and/or chemical remineralisation. Evaluate enamel demineralisation kinetics in fluidic setups, accelerated/enhanced pathways to enamel-like apatite deposition using biological and mineral means (e.g. chemical precipitation, peptide-driven regeneration and electrophoretic deposition). Use multi-modal, multi-scale 4D microscopy (SEM, AFM, SRCT) for the analysis of the evolution of globule formation, crystal nucleation, self-assembly and growth from ions clusters to polycrystals. Liaise with the collaborators to develop multi-scale, multi-physics reaction-diffusion modelling of HAp dissolution/precipitation to include liquid-solid interaction and evolving environment (pH), transport (specific ion concentrations, dissolution/precipitation conditions) and structure (morphology, size, orientation) of HAp crystallites. Role duties include: Procure and process hard tissue dental samples with incipient and artificial caries for assessment by conventional high resolution techniques, SRCT, FIB-SEM, AFM, TEM. Prepare and analyse artificial demineralised and remineralised enamel lesions. Perform top-down 4D characterisation of enamel structural evolution using macro- to micro-fluidics and multiple techniques at macro- micro- and nano- scale resolution to observe multiscale changes in enamel demineralisation and establish a platform for enamel remineralisation. Perform bottom-up multi-modal 4D observation of HAp biological and or chemical remineralisation. Evaluate enamel demineralisation kinetics in mciro-fluidic setups, using accelerated or enhanced pathways to enamel-like apatite deposition (e.g. chemical precipitation, peptide-driven regeneration and electrophoretic deposition). Use multi-modal, multi-scale 4D microscopy (SEM, AFM, SRCT) for the analysis of the evolution of globule formation, crystal nucleation, self-assembly and growth from ions clusters to polycrystals. Liaise with collaborators to develop multi-scale, multi-physics reaction-diffusion modelling of HAp dissolution/precipitation to include liquid-solid interaction and evolving environment (pH), transport (specific ion concentrations, dissolution/precipitation conditions) and structure (morphology, size, orientation) of HAp crystallites. Work within specified research grants and projects and contribute to writing bids Operate within area of specialism Analyse and interpret research findings and results Contribute to generating funding Contribute to licensing or spin out deals with demonstrated commercial success (such as revenues, asset or company sales, IP generated) and/or public understanding of the discipline or similar Main Duties The responsibilities may include some but not all of the responsibilities outlined below. Develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research, with assistance of a mentor if required Contribute to writing bids for research funding Analyse and interpret data Apply knowledge in a way which develops new intellectual understanding Disseminate research findings for publication, research seminars, etc. Supervise students on research related work and provide guidance to PhD students where appropriate to the discipline Contribute to developing new models, techniques and methods Undertake management/administration arising from research Contribute to Departmental/School research-related activities and research-related administration Contribute to enterprise, business development and/or public engagement activities of manifest benefit to the College and the University, often under supervision of a project leader Collect research data; this may be through a variety of research methods, such as scientific experimentation, literature reviews, and research interviews Present research outputs, including drafting academic publications or parts thereof, for example at seminars and as posters Provide guidance, as required, to support staff and any students who may be assisting with the research Deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines Promotes equality and values diversity acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture. Occasionally travel to the collaborating institution (University of Oxford) and the Diamond Light Source synchrotron facility (Didcot) to perform specific experiments Person Specification A first degree in biomedical or bioengineering related subjects with a strong background, and a PhD (or close to completion) in a subject relevant to the project (previous experience in histology, hard tissue specimen preparation, microscopy, image analysis, micro-CT or synchrotron imaging would be advantageous) High level analytical capability Ability to communicate complex information clearly Fluency in relevant models, techniques or methods and ability to contribute to developing new ones Ability to assess resource requirements and use resources effectively Understanding of and ability to contribute to broader management/administration processes Contribute to the planning and organising of the research programme and/or specific research project Co-ordinate own work with others to avoid conflict or duplication of effort Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day to day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly Informal enquiries to Gabriel Landini, email: g.landini@bham.ac.uk View our staff values and behaviours here We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website .