About the Role

This position available in the Nelson group is to investigate conserved gene regulatory programmes governing nervous system and pancreas development, funded by a BBSRC standard research grant. 

The objective is to understand the basis for deep and stringent conservation of enhancers at critical transcription factor genes acting in both pancreas and nervous system development throughout jawed vertebrate evolution, thus illuminating key mechanisms governing conservation of the vertebrate body plan and how enhancer mutations may lead to developmental disorders.

The post-holder will work closely with other members of the Nelson group and collaborate with Dr Robert Huckstepp’s group in School of Life Sciences to perform imaging analysis of human hindbrain organoids, and the Bioinformatics & Digital Health Research Technology Platform to perform single cell multiomics data analysis.

The project will take place in the recently opened £54.3m Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Building, combining cutting-edge facilities with research groups from School of Life Sciences and Warwick Medical School working on related projects and systems including in the fields of developmental biology, neuroscience, human organoid and zebrafish research.

If you are near submission of your PhD, or have not yet had it conferred, any offers of employment will be made at Research Assistant level, at the highest spinal point of pay grade 5 (£34,610 per annum). Upon receipt of evidence confirming the successful award of your PhD, you will be promoted to Research Fellow, at the lowest spinal point of grade 6 (£35,608 per annum).

For details on the experience and skills required, please refer to the job description (link here).

About You

The successful candidate will hold a PhD in vertebrate developmental biology, gene regulation, or a closely related field, and substantial practical experience of experimental molecular biology.  The candidate should be able to establish and optimise new techniques in the laboratory, and to manage several experimental lines in parallel.  It is recognised that the successful candidate is unlikely to have experience of all techniques required by the project.  Full training will be provided where required.

The successful candidate will lead an ambitious experimental genetics project exploiting human pluripotent stem cell derived organoids and zebrafish to dissect the function and regulatory logic of highly conserved enhancers functioning across the developing nervous system and pancreas.  The work will combine CRISPR-mediated genome editing, single cell multiomics, and phenotypic analysis of human organoids, and fine-detail functional analysis of enhancer composition using zebrafish in vivo reporter assays.

We expect you to arrive with strengths in some of the following areas: mammalian pluripotent stem cell maintenance and directed differentiation, CRISPR/Cas9-based genome editing, functional genomics and transcriptomics, single cell multiomics, and zebrafish imaging-based techniques. Full training will be provided across the remaining areas.

The successful applicant will lead the day-to-day experimental and analytical work. 

About the Department

School of Life Sciences

For further information about the School of Life Sciences please see our website.

We believe that collegiality, openness, inclusivity and diversity are essential for an excellent research and teaching environment. Our workplace ethic has enabled us to gain the Athena SWAN Silver award. We are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace and encourage applications from all groups with protected characteristics traditionally under-represented in STEM fields. As part of our ongoing commitment to addressing gender equality under the Athena Swan chartermark, we would particularly encourage and welcome applications from female academics.

Hybrid Working:

Due to the nature of this role, there is an expectation that the postholder will spend a minimum of 80% of their time working on campus. There will be periods requiring 100% on-campus presence (e.g. due to stem cell maintenance, knock-out/knock-in production, the effective scheduling and execution of multi-day protocols etc), particularly within the first three months to support training. Following successful completion of the training period, hybrid working may be available when operationally justifiable, typically allowing for one day per week working from home.

How to Apply

To apply please complete your essential personal details and attach a CV and cover letter on the closing date stated.

Please ensure your CV includes your most recent employment experience along with any additional relevant experience and education history.

Applications should include a CV and a covering letter expressing the reasons for your interest in this post and your motivation.  This information will be used in the shortlisting process.

Within this information you should demonstrate how you meet the requirements of this role by specific reference to each of the essential, and where applicable, desirable criteria detailed in the person specification. Please note that if you do not evidence the essential requirements, we may not be able to shortlist your application. 

The interview date is To Be Confirmed

We will review applications throughout the advertising period and may contact shortlisted candidates before the closing date. We therefore encourage interested applicants to submit their application as early as possible. We reserve the right to close this vacancy early should we receive a sufficient number of suitable applications.