Do you want a role safeguarding standards of animal and plant health and welfare? Do you love working as part of a team, bringing an enthusiastic approach every day?
This role will lead the development of molecular mycobacteriology as a core research discipline within the Mammalian Tuberculosis Research & Development Workgroup. The postholder will establish a strategic research portfolio, secure competitive funding, and provide scientific leadership to advance APHA’s capabilities in the detection, characterisation and understanding of mycobacterial pathogens relevant to animal health, public health, and environmental transmission.
Key Responsibilities
Research Leadership & Grant Acquisition
* Develop and lead a programme of innovative research in molecular mycobacteriology.
* Prepare high quality grant proposals and secure funding from Defra, UK Research & Innovation (UKRI), and other competitive sources.
* Build external collaborations with academic, governmental, and international partners to strengthen APHA’s research impact.
Method Development & Diagnostic Innovation
* Design, evaluate and implement molecular methods for detecting mycobacteria in clinical and environmental samples.
* Develop and validate nucleic acid–based assays for species and subspecies identification, including multiplex diagnostic platforms.
Culture, Phenotyping & Laboratory Optimisation
* Work collaboratively with internal teams to refine and optimise mycobacterial culture methods across host species and sample types.
* Support improvements to APHA’s CL3 laboratory workflows and ensure alignment with biosafety and quality assurance standards.
Capacity Building & People Leadership
* Supervise, train and mentor research scientists, technicians and students.
* Support career development within the workgroup and champion high research standards, reproducibility and laboratory safety.
Fundamental Biology & Epidemiological Relevance
* Investigate molecular mechanisms underlying mycobacterial pathogenicity, physiology, and infection stage–specific biomarkers.
* Apply functional genomics to support improved diagnostics, molecular epidemiology, and intervention strategies.
Study environmental survival and persistence of Mycobacterium bovis and other members of the Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Complex, including resistance to disinfectants, and relate findings to disease transmission pathways and control strategies.
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