Imperial College London

Department of Life Sciences

Faculty of Natural Sciences

Research Associate

Salary: £32,750 – £41,540 per annum

We wish to appoint a Research Associate to join Dr Doryen Bubeck’s laboratory in the Department of Life Sciences. The post will be funded by Cancer Research UK for up to 5 years commencing January 2014, and will be based at the South Kensington campus. The project involves structural and functional characterization of protein complexes involved in the complement terminal pathway.

Complement plays an important role in cancer immunotherapy. One mechanism of tumor clearance is by the deposition of membrane attack complex (MAC) pores on target cells. The effectiveness of which is limited due to over expression of CD59, a complement regulator that inhibits lysis. The goal of this project is to understand how MAC pores form and how CD59 mediates this process. The project provides an outstanding opportunity to enhance the candidate’s knowledge of structural biology, as well as work on a system that has the potential to to impact actively prescribed cancer therapeutics.

The post holder will collaborate with membrane biophysisists at Imperial College London, immunologists at the University of Southampton and Cardiff University, as well as microbiologists at the University of Oklahoma, USA. The Imperial College Centre for Structural Biology is a state-of-the-art electron microscopy facility equipped with two FEG electron microscopes and cutting edge dectectors (4k x 4k CCD and FEIFalcon direct electron detector).

You must have a PhD or equivalent in a structural biology or biochemistry discipline. You must also have research experience in a structural biological laboratory environment covering either X-ray crystallography and/or electron microscopy single particle analysis, or advanced knowledge in protein biochemistry and structural biology are essential. You must also be able to demonstrate the capacity for innovative and high quality structural biological research. Experience in supervision and training of junior research staff and students, and in writing scientific research papers would be advantageous.

You must have excellent verbal and written communications skills, and the ability to deal with a wide range of people and to write clearly and succinctly for publications. Excellent organisation skills, high levels of initiative, the ability to be innovative, attention to details and problem solving skills are also essential. You must be able to develop and apply new concepts and conduct detailed reviews of research literature. You must be open-minded and cooperative, and be willing to work as part of a team as well as independently.

Informal enquires can be made directly to Dr Doryen Bubeck at d.bubeck@imperial.ac.uk.

Our preferred method of application is online via our website http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/employment (please select “Job Search” then enter the job title or vacancy reference number, including spaces – NS 2013 197 IL – into “Keywords”). Please complete and upload an application form as directed.

Should you have any queries about the application process please contact Mrs Manami Kanazawa by email at: m.kanazawa@imperial.ac.uk.

Closing date: 6 October 2013 (Midnight BST)

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