Research Associate Neuropathology - Cerebrovascular Disease

Salary: £33,936 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 9 April 2024

The Role

We seek an enthusiastic and ambitious Research Associate based at the Translational and Clinical Research Institute to investigate how specific regulators of microglia state (abundance/function) influence the microglia-endothelial cell axis in the development and progression of white matter abnormalities relevant to vascular cognitive impairment and dementia.

The position, part of a large collaborative programme funded by NIH/NINDS, is reviewed on an annual basis with potential for funding up to 3 years. 

The project will primarily involve investigation of CNS pathological material from well- characterised clinical study of elderly stroke survivors.  The focus is on white matter damage and vascular cognitive impairment with histopathological and single-cell transcriptomic approaches to assess microglia states. A range of in vitro, cellular, molecular and quantitative neuroimaging techniques will be used to compare against available clinical, cognitive profile and neuroimaging data to study blood brain barrier integrity, white matter microstructure and inflammation.  

In parallel collaborative studies supported by team of researchers (Edinburgh), single cell RNA sequencing and FISH/ICH may be used to identify how targeting regulators of microglia number/function impact on microglia and on endothelial cell populations, their cell state(s), intercellular communication and how these might alter in relation to the progression of white matter abnormalities and cognition. The work will also be related to findings in relevant rodent models. 

You will be based in the laboratory of Prof. Raj Kalaria.

 As part of the research programme, the lead and key project investigators Prof Karen Horsburgh,  Dr. Jill Fowler, Dr. Barry McColl  and Dr. Axel Montagne (all University of Edinburgh) will provide advice and expertise to also support a multi-disciplinary approach and an excellent training and mentorship environment as necessary.  

You will be embedded within a rich local neuroscience, immunology, vascular and neuroimaging research community.

You will have a PhD in a relevant discipline (eg neuroscience, immunology, biomedical sciences).  Ideally you will have knowledge, interests and skills in Cerebrovascular Disease and/or dementia and/or neuroimmunology as well as experience in immunohistochemistry or assessing CNS pathological specimens. You will work well independently and in a team of other researchers and will drive productive interactions with the key collaborating labs. Excellent written and oral communication skills are essential. 

To apply for this position, we will need a copy of your CV and covering letter outlining why you are interested in this project and what skills you have that would benefit the project.

The role is full time, fixed term for 12 months.  

Further information can be obtained by contacting Professor Raj Kalaria, Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Campus for Ageing and Vitality, Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 5PL, UK; Office Tel: +441912081352; Email: raj.kalaria@newcastle.ac.uk.

Find out more about the Faculty of Medical Sciences here: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/ 

Find out more about our Research Institutes here:
https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/research/institutes/

Please note that if you are successful to this role, you will require medical clearance before you can commence in the role

Key Accountabilities

• Although working under the general guidance of an academic or Principal Investigator, the postholder will contribute ideas, including enhancements to the technical or methodological aspects of their studies, thus providing substantial 'added value' 
• Develop and carry out the specified project using appropriate techniques and equipment as outlined in the personal requirements 
• Determine appropriate methodologies for research, with advice and support where required
• Contribute to grant applications submitted by others and in time develop own research objectives and proposals for funding 
• Begin to write, with appropriate support, proposals for individual research funding or, where funders do not permit this, contribute to the writing of collective bids
• Assess research findings for the need/scope for further investigations
• Contribute to the writing up of their research for publication and dissemination, either through seminar and conference presentations or through publications
• Present research findings, either at conferences or through publications in reputable outlets appropriate to the discipline
• May be involved in the supervision, with guidance, of final year undergraduate research projects and in providing support to postgraduate research students or Research Assistants 
• Will need to work with the support staff and, on occasions, with undergraduate and postgraduate students, and interact intellectually with other academic members of the Institute
• May contribute to events celebrating the public engagement of science/social sciences/humanities
• Develop an awareness of University structures, policies and procedures and relevant issues in the higher education, research, social and political environment
• To analyse plasma samples for inflammatory/immune system markers using immunochemical assays e.g. ELISA, Luminex, multi-cytokine arrays to identify biomarkers associated dementia cases
• To be responsible for managing a database containing the project results against clinical and neuropsychometric data 
• To design studies/experiments and perform the morphological analysis (see details below) of post-mortem brain tissues from elderly post-stroke survivors

The Person (Essential)

Knowledge, Skills and Experience 

• Ability to work well as part of a team and rapidly acquire new skills
• Detailed subject knowledge (PI to describe subject knowledge required) in the area of research 
• Likelihood of advanced skills directly related to the research projects 
• High level of analytical and problem-solving capability 
• Ability to communicate complex information with clarity and to encourage the commitment of others 
• Experience of research with clear transferable skills and some experience or awareness of the research environment 
• Presentations at conferences and/or high-quality publications

Desirable

• Experience in quantitative morphometric analyses

Qualifications

• A PhD in a relevant area E.g Neurosciences, Immunology, biomedical sciences

Desirable 

• MD in relevant area
• Honors degree in neuroscience or immunology, pharmacology or biomedical sciences 

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.  As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society.  We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent.  We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a silver Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality.  We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC.  We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe. 

Requisition ID: 26848