Research Fellow in Structural Biology

Location: Leeds - Main Campus

Contract type: Fixed term (for 18 months)

Are you an ambitious researcher looking for your next challenge? Do you have an established background in structural studies of amyloid aggregates and want to help to develop new routes to combat amyloid diseases? Do you want to further your career in one of the UK’s leading research intensive Universities?

We are looking for an outstanding research fellow to join our interdisciplinary team that is investigating how proteins aggregate into amyloid fibrils, and how fibrils with different structure perturb cellular function. This Wellcome Trust-funded role is to use cryoEM, supported with other biochemical and biophysical analyses, to understand the structure of amyloid fibrils formed in vitro and purified from patient samples and to determine the activity of different fibril types in causing cellular dysfunction. The project will focus on IAPP involved in type-2-diabetes, a-synuclein and Parkinson’s disease and Ab and Alzheimer’s. Our goal is to describe the structural pathway of amyloid formation of these proteins and to determine the role of disease-relevant mutations, post-translational modifications and ligand binding on amyloid structure and their consequences in disease. 

You will be based in the laboratories of Professors Sheena Radford and Neil Ranson, and work closely with other members of our amyloid team. You should have a PhD (or be close to completing one) in Structural Biology, Biochemistry, or a related discipline, and extensive experience of using structural methods to elucidate biological mechanisms. Experience in cryo-electron microscopy would be a significant advantage, but training will be given to outstanding structural biologists lacking this experience but able to evidence their passion and commitment to learn cryo-EM techniques.

What we offer in return

• 26 days holiday plus approx.16 Bank Holidays/days that the University is closed by custom (including Christmas) – That’s 42 days a year!
• Generous pension scheme plus life assurance– the University contributes 14.5% of salary
• Health and Wellbeing: Discounted staff membership options at The Edge, our state-of-the-art Campus gym, with a pool, sauna, climbing wall, cycle circuit, and sports halls.
• Personal Development: Access to courses run by our Organisational Development & Professional Learning team.
• Access to on-site childcare, shopping discounts and travel schemes are also available.

And much more!

To explore the post further or for any queries you may have, please contact:

Professor Sheena Radford, Astbury Professor of Biophysics

Tel: +44 (0)113 343 3170

Email: s.e.radford@leeds.ac.uk

Professor Neil A Ranson, Professor of Structural Molecular Biology

Tel: +44 (0)113 343 7065

Email: n.a.ranson@leeds.ac.uk

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