Postdoctoral Fellow (Genetic Mechanisms of Disease Lab)

Postdoctoral Fellow (Genetic Mechanisms of Disease Lab)

The Genetic Mechanisms of Disease lab is a dynamic, supportive, and highly collaborative research group studying how common genetic variation influences the human immune system and predisposes to autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Essential skills include human immune cell isolation and culture, CRISPR editing, and in vitro immune function assays.

The current project, funded by the MSD/Crick Research Alliance, aims to elucidate the biology behind a genetic association with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) located on chromosome 5. The locus lies within an uncharacterised long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) and shows strong activation-dependent enhancer activity in inflammatory macrophages. The project seeks to identify regulated gene(s), investigate RNA-dependent functions of the lncRNA, and characterise mechanisms by which this variation contributes to IBD, aiming to uncover new therapeutic opportunities.

As a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Crick, you will:

1. Lead your own research projects
2. Contribute to other projects internally and with external collaborators
3. Guide PhD students in their research

The essential criteria include:

• PhD, or near completion, in a relevant biomedical science (e.g., immunology, molecular biology, cell biology, biochemistry)
• Experience in molecular biology, mammalian cell culture, and flow cytometry
• Knowledge of human genetics, immunology, and gene regulation
• Experience working independently, designing experiments, and adopting new techniques
• Proven scientific writing record, with first-author publications or submitted manuscripts in refereed journals
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively
• Excellent organisational and communication skills