JOB DESCRIPTION
Job Title:
Research Associate
Division:
National Heart and Lung Institute
Section:
Heart Science
Job Family:
Academic and Research, Level B
Salary:
£32,750 to £41,540 per annum
Reporting to:
Professor Michael Schneider
Works closely with:
Colleagues within the British Heart Foundation Centre
for UK Regenerative Medicine and the British Heart
Foundation Centre for Research Excellence
Contract:
Full-time, fixed-term initially for 2 years
Location:
Hammersmith Campus
Research Programme
The group led by Professor Michael D. Schneider, the British Heart Foundation
Simon Marks Professor of Regenerative Cardiology, studies cardiac muscle cell
death and regeneration. Work on clonogenic, multipotent stem cells from adult
hearts addresses cardiac muscle creation as a means to achieve better cardiac
repair after ischemic damage. Other work of the group addresses nodal control
points and signaling cascades that drive cardiac muscle cell death.
These investigations are embedded in Imperial’s British Heart Foundation Centre for
Research Excellence, a discipline-spanning inter-Faculty collaboration involving more
than 100 research labs, and a newly awarded British Heart Foundation UK Centre for
Regenerative Medicine.
Summary of the post
A postdoctoral position is available in Professor Schneider’s laboratory in the
National Heart and Lung Institute, Faculty of Medicine at Imperial College London,
Hammersmith Campus.
This post will focus on “dormant” stem cells present in the adult heart, through
molecular, functional, and epigenetic studies and is co-supervised by Professor
Nadia Rosenthal. You will have a personal programme of research (60-70% of time
and effort) devoted to high-throughput studies of stem cell activation. In addition, this
post will support, manage, and coordinate the overall cell purification, cloning,
production, and phenotyping efforts of the laboratories (30-40% time and effort).
The molecular studies include qRT-PCR, single-cell qRT-PCR,
immunophenotyping of dormant cardiac stem cells from mice and humans.
and
The studies include (1) high-throughput screens to activate cardiac markers’
expression, using pre-spotted chemical and genetic libraries from the laboratory of
Mark Mercola, as well as other triggers, (2) longer-term culture for biophysical assays
by Professor Sian Harding and others, (3) collaborative efforts with the Rosenthal lab
to improve the extent and effectiveness of stem cell grafting by manipulation of
inflammatory and anti-inflammatory pathways, (4) epigenetic studies conducted
chiefly in the laboratories of Tim Aitman and Ana Pombo.
The position is laboratory based and will involve responsibility for cardiac stem cell
cloning, production, activation, and phenotyping. You will be expected to submit
publications to refereed journals and to contribute to attracting external research
funding.
You will have a PhD in cell biology, molecular biology or a related field. You will be a
highly motivated scientist with demonstrable research laboratory experience and an
established record of hands-on experience with cardiac stem cell molecular biology.
Key Responsibilities
You will conduct research on cardiac stem cell biology and regeneration. The
techniques employed for the research will include:
 Cardiac stem cell purification, cloning, and production (supported by other
personnel for FACS and robotic cell culture)
 qRT-PCR
 Single-cell qRT-PCR
 Immunophenotyping
 Analyses of heart tissue after injury and grafting
 Analyses of donor cells recovered from the heart after grafting
Research Duties:
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To conduct and plan own scientific work, responsible for all aspects of cardiac
cell culture and molecular phenotyping
To maintain highly organised and accurate record of experimental work
To conduct data analysis, ensuring the validity and reliability of data at all
times
To contribute to the smooth running of the Group’s laboratory and facilities
with other scientists, clinicians, technicians and students within the laboratory
To participate in Group research meetings and internal seminars
To collaborate with other allied scientists within Imperial College and
elsewhere in London and abroad, as appropriate
To supervise or assist in the supervision of undergraduate and postgraduate
research students and research assistants as required
To maintain the highest standards of Research Governance and Ethics
To co-operate with other members of Imperial College working in the National
Heart and Lung Institute, in other schools/institutes/departments of the
Faculty of Medicine, and elsewhere within Imperial College
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To contribute where applicable to the planning of development in research
and teaching
To publish in high quality journals and to present data at national and
international meetings
To present findings to colleagues and at conferences
To attend relevant workshops and conferences as necessary
To comply with the College, Division, and Unit safety practices and to attend
courses on safety when appropriate.
Other Duties:
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To undertake appropriate administration tasks
To undertake any necessary training and/or development
To promote the reputation of the Group, the Department and the College
Any other duties as may be deemed reasonable by Head of group as well as
Head of Division/Department/Section.
To observe and comply with all College policies and regulations, including the
key policies and procedures on Confidentiality, Conflict of Interest, Data
Protection, Equal Opportunities, Financial Regulations, Health and Safety,
Imperial Expectations (for new leaders, managers and supervisors),
Information Technology, Private Engagements and Register of Interests, and
Smoking.
To undertake specific safety responsibilities relevant to individual roles, as set
out on the College Website Health and Safety Structure and Responsibilities
page
(http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/safety/policies/organisationandarrangements).
Job descriptions cannot be exhaustive and the post-holder may be required to
undertake other duties, which are broadly in line with the above key
responsibilities.
Imperial College is committed to equality of opportunity and to eliminating
discrimination. All employees are expected to adhere to the principles set out
in its Equal Opportunities in Employment Policy, Promoting Race Equality
Policy and all other relevant guidance/practice frameworks.
IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Qualifications:
Essential
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PhD or equivalent level of professional qualification in the molecular or
cellular life sciences, or equivalent field
Knowledge and Experience:
Essential
 Strong background in cell biology, including stem cell biology
 Demonstrable experience at post-doctoral level in molecular cell biology
including qRT-PCR and immunocytochemistry
 Experience with advanced laboratory robotics, preferably automated cell
culture
 Knowledge of research methods and statistical procedures
 Practical experience within a research environment, preferably through
publication in relevant and refereed journals
Desirable
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Knowledge of cardiac stem cell biology and regenerative medicine
Experience with robotic cell culture
Experience with cell cloning
Experience with immunostaining and fluorescence microscopy techniques
Experience with the use of imaging software
Experience in high content imaging
Experience in single-cell qRT-PCR
Experience in publishing high-quality peer-reviewed papers
Skills and Abilities:
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Preparation of cells and RNA samples
Performing qRT-PCR and single-cell qRT-PCR
Planning and interpretation of flow cytometry experiments
Ability to conduct a detailed review of recent literature
Ability to develop and apply new concepts
Creative approach to problem-solving
Excellent verbal communication skills and the ability to deal with a wide
range of people
Excellent written communication skills and the ability to write clearly and
succinctly for publication
Computer literate with a good knowledge of different computer
programmes with experience in data presentation and statistical analyses
Computer skills including word-processing, spreadsheets and the Internet
Ability to take a flexible attitude towards work
Ability to organise own work with minimal supervision
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Ability to prioritise own work in response to deadlines
Ability to direct the work of a small research team and motivate others to
produce a high standard of work
Ability and willingness to work as part of a team and to be open-minded
and cooperative
Ability to show discipline and regard for confidentiality and security at all
times
Other:
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Willingness to undertake any necessary training for the role
Willingness to travel both within the United Kingdom and abroad to
conduct research and attend conferences
Willingness to work out of normal working hours (including weekends) if
the requirements of the project demand
Discipline and regard for confidentiality and security at all times