Research Assistant OR Postdoctoral Research Associate in Radionuclide Physics

Salary: Grade 5 (£37,332 - £42,099) or Grade 6 (£43,205 - £50,585) per annum, including London Weighting Allowance.

About the role

We are seeking a Research Assistant or Postdoctoral Research Associate to work on an exciting project to enhance therapeutic options for patients with neuroendocrine tumours. The person will carry out cellular and preclinical dosimetry using (and acquiring if so desired) data from radiochemical/biological studies to create, characterise, and test new molecular radionuclide therapies beyond beta particle-emitters both in vitro and in vivo in tumour and healthy cells and tissues. Approaches will be both as single therapies and in combination with chemotherapies. Radionuclide imaging studies alongside the above data will be used to inform dosimetry. This post will work closely with a postdoc with biological expertise already in place. 

Improvement of cancer treatment remains a priority as 28% of UK deaths are still attributable to cancer. Neuroendocrine tumours (NETs), whilst rare, are the exemplar cancer type investigated here as they are hard to treat. External beam radiotherapy and molecular radionuclide therapy in the form of 177Lu-DOTATATE have enhanced survival for some NET patients, but the long-term outlook for most patients with advanced NETs remains poor.

This work will

• directly influence future clinical trial design in neuroendocrine cancer patients undergoing injectable radioactive therapy as part of their treatment;
• provide evidence to convert radionuclide therapy from palliative to curative options in cancer;
• provide key building blocks with which to create other effective radionuclide therapies as well as impactful combination therapies.  

The work spans cellular and preclinical tumour and health organ dosimetry and can be easily carried out by somebody with Monte Carlo modelling skills and a good understanding of the basic radiation dosimetry principles. Optional experimental work spans molecular biology, in vitro cell studies and preclinical in vivo therapy and radionuclide SPECT and/or PET imaging studies, and radiobiology.

The team is committed to providing an inclusive and supportive environment for all. See https://www.radlab.uk/team and associated pages for more on who we are and what we do. 

This is a full time post (35 hours/pw), and you will be offered a fixed term contract until 17 September 2026.

About you

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

Essential criteria

• BSc (2:1 or above) in Physics or other relevant field - (Grade 5)
• PhD awarded or near completion in radiobiology, computational modelling, medical physics or other relevant field (or pending results) - (Grade 6 only)
• Highly computer literate with coding expertise, e.g. MATLAB, Python
• Expertise in dosimetry programmes and/or Monte Carlo modelling, e.g. MIRD, OLINDA
• Skills in presenting scientific research in the form of papers, posters and oral presentations - (Grade 6 only)
• Development of statistical and computational dosimetric methods if relevant
• Expertise in analysing in vitro and in vivo data to derive dosimetric parameters
• The ability to take individual responsibility for planning and undertaking own work, according to clinical and scientific deadlines and a collaborative approach to scientific research and showcasing honesty and integrity

Desirable criteria

• Experience in radiobiology or computational modelling
• Experience applying radiation dosimetry principles
• Radiation training and knowledge of handling and safety of biological and radioactive materials
• Experience in calibration procedures
• Experience in small animal radionuclide imaging studies

Closing date: 17 July 2024

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