Research Associate - INTERNAL ONLY - Strand, London, WC2R 2LSTHIS VACANCY IS OPEN TO INTERNAL APPLICANTS ONLYAbout UsThe Rosenblatt lab studies how epithelia maintain a functional barrier and proper cell numbers, despite turning over at high rates by cell death and cell division. We found mechanics control both opposing processes: when cells are too sparse, stretch activates cell division and when too many, crowding activates cell death by ‘epithelial cell extrusion’. While we first discovered extrusion as a process that eliminates dying cells without creating any gaps within the epithelium, we later discovered that most epithelial cells die as a result of live cell extrusion. Due to the significant role extrusion plays in epithelial cell death, a variety of diseases, ranging from bacterial and viral pathogenesis, asthma, and cancer, can result when it is misregulated. Inflammation and infection can result from excess extrusion whereas aberrant basal cell extrusion (back into the tissue epithelia encase) can drive cell invasion and de-differentiation in a class of aggressive tumours. We are currently using organoids and mouse lung slices to investigate the fate of cells that invade by basal extrusion and the signalling that drives this. The Rosenblatt lab is within the Randall Centre for Cell & Molecular Biophysics which is situated within the School of Basic & Biomedical Sciences (BMBS) and is part of the Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine. It is involved in a wide range of fundamental research projects at the interface between biology, biomedicine, chemistry and physics. About The RoleThe research associate will be selected to complete studies examining how starvation selectively targets defective cells to extrude. They will need to be efficient to be able to submit a paper on this and make the revisions. This is a full-time post (35 hours per week), and you will be offered a fixed term contract until 10th January 2027 with a start date no sooner than 11th January 2026.The role is based onsite. Research staff at King’s are entitled to at least 10 days per year (pro-rata) for professional development. This entitlement, from the Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers, applies to Postdocs, Research Assistants, Research and Teaching Technicians, Teaching Fellows and AEP equivalent up to and including grade 7. Visit the Centre for Research Staff Development for more information.