Research Associate in Circadian Neuroscience

The role

This role is to support a strategic longer and larger (sLOLA) grant investigating the effects of ageing on circadian rhythms and health in rodents. Specifically, this role will be based at University of Bristol with principal responsibilities to assess how daily rhythms in physiology, behaviour, molecular and neuronal activity, affective state, and cognition alter across the lifespan in mice. The role will provide the opportunity to learn from a range of interdisciplinary teams working on this project to provide new insights into the functional relationships between optimal circadian rhythmicity and healthy ageing. You will benefit from collaboration with other laboratories in the Universities of Bristol, Exeter, Imperial College London, King’s College London, and Manchester. In Bristol, you will lead and conduct research on mice across the lifespan but will have the opportunity to compare age-related changes in a diurnal rodent, drosophila, and computational models.

What will you be doing?

You will be leading, organising, and conducting behavioural, molecular, and neuronal assays of circadian rhythms in young and aged mice as well as assessing cognitive and affective state in these animals. You will be managing and interpreting data from these investigations and preparing professional communications. You will be actively contributing to the running of the research laboratory (health and safety; supervision of students; management of research grant budget) and managing the animal colony. Importantly, you will be communicating effectively with the PIs and early career researchers on the grant including those at partner institutions.

You should apply if

Essential:

• Experience with behavioural studies of rodents and working under the Animals in Scientific Procedures Act.
• Experience of formal presentation and/or publication of scientific research.
• PhD (awarded or imminent) or equivalent in the biomedical sciences.
• Ability to keep good records of experimental data.
• Motivated and proactive approach to research, problem solving, and open science teamwork.
• Ability to troubleshoot work research methodologies or work difficulties.

Desirable:

• Experience with studies of day-night variation in behavioural and physiology.
• Experience with studying effects of ageing on brain and behaviour.
• Experience with breeding/maintenance of genetically modified organisms.
• An appetite for/experience of working in interdisciplinarity teams and supervising other early career scientists.
• Experience of use of electrophysiological or molecular approaches to the nervous system.
• Home Office PIL (A-C).
• Aptitude for quantitative analysis of biological data sets.
• Motivation to support a positive research culture, engage in mentorship schemes, and participate in institutional post-doctoral research community.

Additional information

For informal enquiries about the role please contact either Hugh.piggins@bristol.ac.uk or james@hodge@bristol.ac.uk

Contract type: Open Ended with fixed funding for up to 36 months

This advert will close at 23:59 UK time on Tuesday 15th April 2025

It is anticipated that interviews will be held on 1st/2nd May 2025.

Our strategy and mission

We recently launched our strategy to 2030 tying together our mission, vision and values.

The University of Bristol aims to be a place where everyone feels able to be themselves and do their best in an inclusive working environment where all colleagues can thrive and reach their full potential. We want to attract, develop, and retain individuals with different experiences, backgrounds and perspectives – particularly people of colour, LGBT+ and disabled people - because diversity of people and ideas remains integral to our excellence as a global civic institution.

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