Research Fellow

We are seeking applications for a Research Fellow, funded by a prestigious HRB All-Ireland NCI Cancer Consortium Research & Innovation Grant. This role offers a unique opportunity to contribute to a cutting-edge project investigating how germline genetic variation drives breast cancer susceptibility.

Under the supervision of Prof Nick Orr and Dr. Sarah Maguire at the Patrick G. Johnston Centre for Cancer Research, Queen’s University Belfast, the successful applicant will establish and apply lentiMPRA technology (Lentiviral Multiplexed Reporter Assay) to identify functional enhancer elements at breast cancer susceptibility loci, using male and female breast tissue cell-line models.

The project is part of a tripartite collaboration with two world-leading cancer research institutions: Trinity College Dublin (Prof Adrian Bracken) and the US National Cancer Institute (Drs. Stephen Chanock and Diptavo Dutta). This collaboration will provide the successful applicant with unparalleled access to expertise, resources, and mentorship, creating a dynamic and supportive research environment.

About the person:

The successful candidate must have, and your application should clearly demonstrate that you meet the following criteria:

• Hold or be about to obtain* a PhD in cancer biology, genomics, molecular biology, or a related discipline. (*PhD to be completed within 3 months of the closing date for the post)
• Expertise in cell culture, particularly in maintaining and manipulating cell-line models.
• Proficiency in genome editing tools like CRISPR/Cas9 for functional validation.
• Experience in high-throughput reporter assays or related technologies.
• Experience of analysis of enhancer activity and gene regulation mechanisms.
• Experience of handling genomic, epigenomic, and transcriptomic datasets.
• Familiarity with tools and pipelines for analysing next-generation sequencing (NGS) data.
• Experience of developing and optimising protocols for complex assays.
• Understanding of cancer biology, including genetic predisposition and enhancer/gene interactions.

To be successful at shortlisting stage, please ensure you clearly evidence in your application how you meet the essential and, where applicable, desirable criteria listed in the Candidate Information on our website.

This post is available for 2 years or until 6^th April 2027, whichever is soonest. Fixed term contract posts are available for the stated period in the first instance but in particular circumstances may be renewed or made permanent subject to availability of funding.

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