Post Doctoral Research Associate in Microfluidic and Lab Automation Technologies

Rewards and Benefits: 33 days annual leave, plus 9 buildings closed days for all full time staff. Use our total rewards calculator: www.hw.ac.uk/about/work/total-rewards-calculator.htm to see the value of benefits provided by Heriot-Watt University.

Contract: Full time (1FTE), fixed term (20 months)

Heriot-Watt University has established a reputation for world-class teaching and leading-edge, relevant research, which has made it one of the top UK universities for innovation, business, and industry.

Detailed Description

Heriot-Watt University is seeking to recruit an enthusiastic engineer to work as part of an interdisciplinary Healthcare Technology team. The successful candidate will be employed for a period of 20 months and will be required to fulfil the research obligations of a project entitled “MicroSNARE: Automated Enrichment Of Circulating Tumour DNA For Improved Cancer Treatment”. This research is funded by EPSRC and aims to develop microfluidic methods to enrich informative DNA biomarkers from cancer patient’s blood samples.

The post-holder will be required to develop benchtop automation and microfluidic strategies to process and analyse blood and plasma samples. Some understanding of molecular biology would be beneficial. They will be expected to work as part of a wider research team. 

The role will be based at the University's campus in Edinburgh.  The candidate will have access to established university resources, and an induction programme  and training will be delivered to all new appointees.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Conduct and manage research and related administrative activities, with guidance as required, ensuring that project aims and objectives are met.
• Working closely with the supervisory team, develop and plan research objectives.
• Present information on research progress and outcomes to, for example, project lead, funding body, university research committee, research team, etc.
• Publish research reports, conference and indexed journal papers in line with project requirements.
• Build appropriate networks within and outside the team.
• Support dissemination and contribute to technical workshops, seminars and conferences as appropriate.
• Where needed, travel to partner universities and research collaborators to carry out research and/or attend meetings presentations etc.
• Ensure that all data collection undertaken as part of the project is done so ethically and in line with both UK (GDPR) privacy and data protection policies, and in compliance with the requirements of the funder.

Education, Qualifications and Experience

Essential Criteria

• PhD degree in Engineering or related cognate discipline
• Experience of developing custom lab automation
• Excellent 2D and 3D CAD modelling skills
• Experience of programming microcontrollers (Arduino, Raspberry Pi)
• Experience of prototyping techniques such as laser cutting and 3D printing
• Clear communicator with good reading and writing skills; good at understanding and explaining concepts
• Possesses research and analytical skills with strong capacity to conduct independent research
• Ability to conceptualize problems and develop well-reasoned and logical viewpoints
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• Enjoys being part of an academic community, and willing to take a 'hands on' approach from the outset
• Strong organisational skills and ability to handle large data sets

Desirable

• Some knowledge of molecular biology
• Experience of biological fluid handling
• Experience of publishing papers in journals/conferences
• Successful completion of funded research and/or funded knowledge exchange

About our team

The project will be co-supervised by Prof Maiwenn Kersaudy-Kerhoas (Microfluidics engineering) and Prof Nick Leslie (Cancer Biology) working within the Institute of Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering.

www.hw.ac.uk/uk/schools/engineering-physical-sciences/institutes/ib3.htm

For all criteria, further details and how to apply:

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Heriot-Watt University is committed to securing equality of opportunity in employment and to the creation of an environment in which individuals are selected, trained, promoted, appraised and otherwise treated on the sole basis of their relevant merits and abilities. Equality and diversity are all about maximising potential and creating a culture of inclusion for all.

Heriot-Watt University values diversity across our university community and welcomes applications from all sectors of society, particularly from underrepresented groups. For more information, please see our website www.hw.ac.uk/uk/services/equality-diversity.htm and also our award-winning work in Disability Inclusive Science Careers disc.hw.ac.uk.