Research Assistant - Rare Renal Diagnosis and Therapies

Company description:

We are a world class research-intensive university. We deliver teaching and learning of the highest quality. We play a leading role in economic, social and cultural development of the North East of England. Attracting and retaining high-calibre people is fundamental to our continued success.

Job description:

The Role

Following recent success in securing an EU HORIZON funded programme called Therapies for Renal Ciliopathies (TheRaCil, https://theracil.eu/), we are seeking a Research Assistant to join our internationally renowned multi-disciplinary team in Newcastle.

This position provides an opportunity for a Research Assistant to develop their career within a team that brings together clinicians and academics in a vibrant translational research environment that works closely with patients and their families.

(https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/siblings-who-developed-kidney-failure-17535415 , https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/health/newcastle-university-kidney-research-sayer-15431046 , Three Hexham siblings with kidney failure finally get answers thanks to Newcastle University genetics team - Chronicle Live).

Your role will be in rare disease research and translational research and we are looking for an individual with experience with cellular models of human disease. We are looking for an exceptional individual to lead on laboratory molecular techniques as well as perform in vitro experiments and interpret the findings. You will be a highly motivated, enthusiastic career research assistant with strong multidisciplinary experience gained in range of different environments.

The project is built around renal ciliopathies, a group of inherited cystic kidney diseases that represent around 10% of all patients with kidney failure. The most prevalent form worldwide is called autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) secondary to mutations in the cystogenes PKD1 and PKD2. Cystogenesis secondary to these mutations is driven by upregulated cAMP which can be modified in animal and human studies by arginine vasopressin antagonists such as tolvaptan. Pharmacological treatments and genetic interventions that prevent or switch off the disease are still lacking. Therapies for the related autosomal recessive (AR) disorders ARPKD and nephronophthisis is completely lacking despite shared disease mechanisms. Collectively these disorders are termed renal ciliopathies. TheRaCil, aims to use models of renal ciliopathy diseases to drive translational research and bring treatments to the clinic within the next 5 years.

This post is offered on a fixed term, part time basis (24 hours per week), for a period of 24 months.

For informal enquiries contact: John Sayer, john.sayer@ncl.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.

As part of our commitment to career development for research colleagues, the University has developed 3 levels of research role profiles. These profiles set out firstly the generic competences and responsibilities expected of role holders at each level and secondly the general qualifications and experiences needed for entry at a particular level.

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