King's College London

About Us

The Lord Lab group, based in the Centre for Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine (CGTRM) is seeking to appoint an outstanding, skilled and ambitious post-doctoral Research Associate to contribute to an innovative programme of translational research. This project, focuses on mapping the intestine at single-cell and spatial resolution following regulatory T cell (Tregs) infusion in patients with active Crohn’s disease as part of the TRIBUTE trial. This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to identify novel therapeutics approaches for Crohn’s diseases, with an emphasis on unique tissue-specific responses of individuals and advancing personalised health medicine.

About the Role

Professor Graham Lord is a leading expert in immunology and translational medicine whose research team focuses on the regulation of gene expression in T cells and dendritic cells, during autoimmune diseases and chronic inflammation. A significant aspect of his research is importance of immune tolerance and has identified defects in suppressive function of Tregs in patients with Crohn’s disease, highlighting their critical role in maintaining immune homeostasis (Lo JW et al., Nat Commun. 2024, 2023, Goldberg R et al., J Crohn’s Colitis. 2021, Goldberg R et al.,  Gastroenterology. 2019, Powell N et al., Gastroenterology. 2015).

The post-holder will support the Lord group on a research project funded by the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, contributing to cutting-edge research. We are seeking an experienced and ambitious applicant with a significant experience in molecular biology and immunology, with expertise in quantitative PCR, CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing, tissue handling, immunohistochemistry, FACS, and the isolation and culture of Tregs. Attention to detail, meticulous record-keeping, and strong interpersonal and organisational skills are essential for success in this collaborative research environment. Full training will be provided as needed, but prior relevant experience is required.

This is a fixed term appointment for 2 years. This position requires full-time on-site work.  

About You

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

Essential criteria

1. PhD qualified in relevant subject area (Immunology) (or submitted and pending results)
2. Competence in molecular and cellular biological techniques including DNA/RNA extraction, PCR, tissue embedding, immunocytochemistry and immunohistochemistry 
3. Strong interest in translational research 
4. Experience of supervising students and technicians as part of a multidisciplinary team 
5. Expertise in working with human samples 
6. Ability to design and plan experiments, prioritise work efficiently and work to deadlines 

Desirable criteria

1. Competence in  microbiome analysis and spatial transcriptomics 
2. Ability to work on own initiative, prioritise and organise competing workloads 
3. Experience of grant/manuscript writing 

Full details of the role and the skills and experience required, can be found in the attached job description.

* Please note that this is a PhD level role but candidates who have submitted their thesis and are awaiting award of their PhDs will be considered. In these circumstances the appointment will be made at Grade 5, spine point 30 with the title of Research Assistant. Upon confirmation of the award of the PhD, the job title will become Research Associate and the salary will increase to Grade 6.

Further Information

We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community.

We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King's

We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the advert. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.

To find out how our managers review your application, please take a look at our ‘How we Recruit’  pages.

This role does meet the requirements of the Home Office and therefore we are able to offer sponsorship for candidates who require the right to work in the UK.