Full-Time, Fixed-term appointment for up to 3 years
Location Liverpool with international travel
The Tropical Disease Biology Department at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM) is seeking to appoint a highly motivated and talented Postdoctoral Research Associate to join our dynamic and interdisciplinary research team.
The successful candidate will contribute to cutting-edge research focused on the development of next-generation vaccines and immunotherapies for emerging infectious diseases. This role will involve leading the development of strategies to enhance intramuscular delivery, integrating multidisciplinary approaches that bridge novel synthetic nucleic acid and protein design with pharmacokinetic analyses, potency assessment, and immune modulation.
This post offers an excellent opportunity to work within a world-leading institution dedicated to improving global health through innovative biomedical research.
Applicants with experience in in vivo gene therapy and/or respiratory pathogens are strongly encouraged to apply.
Key responsibilities will include:
Molecular design and cell biology
1. Design and optimise synthetic nucleic acid constructs and proteins encoding monoclonal antibodies, vaccine immunogens, or other therapeutic proteins
2. Molecular cloning, including optimising and validating a barcoding strategy to refine intracellular tracking
3. Establish and maintain muscle cell cultures, optimise transfection methods, and apply advanced biochemical and imaging techniques to study protein-proteins interactions and cellular processes associated with protein folding.
Preclinical potency and efficacy testing
4. Implement small animal models to conduct pharmacokinetic, biodistribution, and infection studies
5. Evaluate immunogenicity using cellular, virology, and molecular assays (e.g. ELISA, flow cytometry, ELISpot, virus neutralization assays)
6. Optimise and refine muscle and lung tissue analysis (e.g. imaging, RNA-seq)
7. Work closely with the team and collaborators to develop, optimise, and validate in silico and in vitro predictive models for in vivo delivery
8. Troubleshoot and optimise experimental workflows
Data analysis, dissemination, and management
9. Maintain rigorous laboratory records, detailed documentation and data organisation
10. Analyse experimental data using statistical and visualization tools (e.g., FlowJo, GraphPad, R/Python)
11. Prepare project reports, presentations, manuscripts, and assist in preparation of funding applications
12. Participate and engage with academic and industry partners to facilitate knowledge exchange and collaboration
Mentorship and Training
13. Mentor and train junior researchers, students, technicians, and visitors
14. Foster a supportive and collaborative research environment
Safety and compliance
15. Maintain a safe and efficient laboratory environment, ensuring adherence to all institutional and regulatory safety protocols.
16. Conduct risk assessments and ensure compliance with biosafety and chemical safety regulations.
17. Compliance with laboratory rigour, standards, and licensing requirements for working with animals.
The ideal candidate will demonstrate:
18. PhD/DPhil or equivalent degree in virology, immunology, and molecular biology, or a related discipline (or close to obtaining this)
19. Experience maintaining stocks of mammalian cells
20. Experience in general molecular biology techniques, cell biology
21. A strong publication track record
22. Hands-on expertise with in vitro cell-based assay development, flow cytometry, and primary immune cell assays
23. Experience writing research papers and submitting to journals for publication
24. Fundamental understanding of infectious diseases (viruses and/or bacteria) and immunology
25. Experience handling and performing experiments with small animal models (desirable)
Additional benefits of joining LSTM:
26. 30 days annual leave, plus bank holidays, plus Christmas closure days
27. Generous occupational pension schemes
28. Government backed “cycle to work” scheme.
29. Affiliated, discounted staff membership to the University of Liverpool Sports Centre
30. A range of additional family friendly policies