Research Assistant

About us

The School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine & Sciences (SCMMS) is one of six schools that make up the Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine (FoLSM) at King’s College London. The School drives translation of world-leading basic science into advances in clinical practices with activities focusing on Diabetes, Cardiac Biomedicine and Vascular Biomedicine.

About the role

Applications are invited for a four-year Research Assistant position working on a project funded by the Steve Morgan Foundation entitled ‘Towards translation: improving the functional survival of stem cell-derived beta cells’. The successful applicant will work under the supervision of Prof. Shanta Persaud, Dr. Aileen King and Prof. Peter Jones in the Diabetes Theme within the School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Medicine & Sciences at King’s College London. The project aims to improve the generation of functional beta cells from human pluripotent stem cells, and to ensure the optimal performance of stem cell-derived beta cells/islets. This research assistant will provide support to a post-doctoral researcher.

The successful candidate will have a BSc, MSc or PhD in a relevant biomedical sciences subject and be familiar with in vitro techniques used in islet studies. The main responsibilities will be supporting the post-doctoral researcher in differentiating human pluripotent stem cells towards a beta cell phenotype; in evaluating the functional characteristics of stem cell-derived islets in vitro; and in assessing the effects of experimental manipulations using mesenchymal stromal cells and Schwann cells and/or their secretory products. This research assistant post will be held within a vibrant islet biology research community at the Guy’s campus of King’s College London

Further information about ongoing islet biology research in the Department of Diabetes at King’s College London may be found here: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/research/islet-biology. Specific queries relating to the post can be directed to shanta.persaud@kcl.ac.uk.

This is a full time post (35 Hours per week), and you will be offered a fixed term contract, with proposed employment dates of 1st October 2024 – 30th September 2028.

About you

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

Essential criteria

• BSc, MSc or PhD in a relevant biomedical sciences subject.
• Research experience in a molecular cell biology discipline.
• Practical experience of mammalian cell culture, including primary cell culture.
• Familiarity with general molecular cell biology techniques, such as qRT-PCR, scRNAseq, immunohistochemistry, immunoassays.

Desirable criteria

• Practical experience of culturing human pluripotent stem cells.
• Experience of applying stem cell differentiation protocols. 
• Experience in islet isolation and assessing islet function.

Downloading a copy of our Job Description

Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, via the above ‘Apply’ button. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

Closing date: 18 August 2024

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