Postdoctoral Research Associate

Full time: 35 hours per week

Fixed Term: for 1 year (1^st March 2025 – 28^th February 2026)

We are looking for a highly motivated postdoc candidate to lead an innovative research project that integrates kinetochore biology with neuroscience. This project builds on the pioneering discoveries made by the Cheerambathur Lab on the novel roles of kinetochore proteins in brain development and explores how the chromosome segregation machinery is reutilized in post-mitotic neurons to construct and repair neural circuits.

Our research shows that kinetochore proteins, traditionally known for segregating chromosomes during cell division, serve as critical cytoplasmic regulators of neuronal cytoskeleton — impacting dendrite patterning, axonal guidance and synaptogenesis, and neuronal regeneration (Cheerambathur et al., Ouzounidis et al., Domingos et al.). By leveraging the well-established neuronal model, C. elegans as a primary discovery tool and translating key findings to more complex vertebrate neural circuits, we aim to uncover the unknown functions of kinetochores in these major neuronal processes.

The Opportunity:

We specialize in integrating multi-disciplinary approaches, combining the latest in genetics, cell biology, and biochemistry to unravel the mechanistic underpinnings of neuronal processes. Importantly, this position offers a unique opportunity to develop an independent research program in a very novel area of biology, focusing on how the kinetochore and the cytoskeleton interact to influence major neurodevelopmental processes across various organisms. 

We welcome applicants from diverse academic backgrounds. Candidates with technical and scientific experience in the areas of cell biology and neuroscience are especially encouraged to apply. 

The start date is flexible, and funding is through a recently awarded 7-year Wellcome Trust grant. Requests for informal enquiries should be sent to Dr. Dhanya Cheerambathur (dhanya.cheerambathur@ed.ac.uk). Please include a clear and concise statement outlining your motivation for joining our lab and how you envision contributing to our research team.

Your skills and attributes for success: 

• Strong motivation to contribute to a novel area of cell biology and neurobiology.
• Strong organizational, communication and critical thinking skills.
• Command of standard techniques in molecular biology and cell culture (mammalian cells) and/model organisms.
• Expertise & training in one or more of the following: cell biology, live-cell and quantitative fluorescence microscopy, quantitative image analysis, electron microscopy, biochemical methods, genome engineering, mass spectrometry and data handling.
• A publication record is strongly desired.

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