INFORMATION FOR CANDIDATES
Post:
Research Fellow
School/Department:
University Human Genetics
School
Vacancy Reference Number:
of
Molecular
and
Clinical
Medicine,
MRC
3014869
The University of Edinburgh (http://www.ed.ac.uk/)
The University of Edinburgh has been instrumental in shaping history for over 400 years. An
exciting, vibrant, research led academic community we offer opportunities to work with
leading international academics whose visions are shaping tomorrow’s world. Our 21
Schools, spread across 3 Colleges, offer over 350 undergraduate and 160 postgraduate
courses to in excess of 29,000 students each year.
As a member of staff, you will not only be part of one the world’s leading Universities, but
also part of one of the top employers in Edinburgh, with over 7800 people spread a cross a
wide range of academic and supporting roles.
The College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine (http://www.mvm.ed.ac.uk/)
The College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, is headed by Professor Sir John Savill;
who is also the Head of the Medical School. The Medical School in Edinburgh can trace its
origins back nearly 500 years (Darwin, Simpson and Conan-Doyle were students here) and
is internationally renowned for its research and teaching The existing qualifications for
undergraduates are amongst the most competitive in the UK.
The academic disciplines within Medicine are largely concentrated in the two teaching
hospitals in Edinburgh, namely the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh at Little France (RIE) and
the Western General Hospital (WGH). The new RIE was recently constructed on a green field
site under a Private Finance Initiative (completed 2002). It is a state-of-the-art multispeciality hospital linked with the Medical School which is housed in two purpose built
teaching and research facilities, the Chancellor's Building and the Queen's Medical Research
Institute providing the accommodation and facilities required for the majority of the clinical
students and associated academic clinical staff previously located at the old Royal Infirmary
in central Edinburgh.
The Western General Hospital (WGH) has also undergone major redevelopment of its clinical
research and teaching facilities. The Molecular Medicine Centre (£5m) was opened in 1995,
a new Wellcome Millennial Clinical Research Facility (£4m; joint development between the
Wellcome Trust, University and Lothian Health), a £40m new clinical wing, the Anne
Ferguson Building, and a new Medical Education Centre (£1m) were opened in 2001, and a
new Cancer Research Building (£7m) in 2002. The University (through its Medical School)
and Lothian Health work in close collaboration to ensure the co-ordination of the Health
Board's Integrated Health Care Plan for Lothian with the University's teaching and research
plans.
RAE 2008
In RAE 2008, the College submitted to three Units of Assessment, reflecting cross-centre
working in physical or virtual institutes. Across the College, just under 70% of staff can be
considered to have been working at the internationally excellent (3*) level or above.
The College was placed first of 28 submissions in the UK in Hospital-Based Clinical Subjects,
submitting 162 staff, predominantly from the Queen's Medical Research Institute
(Cardiovascular Science, Inflammation Research, Regenerative Medicine and Reproductive
Biology including the MRC Human Reproductive Sciences Unit) and the Institute of Genetics
and Molecular Medicine (Molecular Medicine, MRC Human Genetics Unit, Cancer Research
and Population Health Sciences/Primary Care). All staff were at the international level with
80% of the submission at the internationally excellent (3*, 40%) or world-leading level (4*,
40%).
The College was placed fourth in Agriculture, Veterinary and Food Science, but this was the
best placed submission including a Vet School and delivered the largest volume of 4*
research in the whole UK, with 111 staff from the Roslin Institute, Centre for Infectious
Diseases and the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies.
The College was sixth in the UK in Psychiatry, Neuroscience and Clinical Psychology,
submitting 92 staff from Edinburgh Neuroscience, a virtual institute incorporating the Centre
for Clinical Brain Sciences, the Centre for Cognitive and Neural Systems, the Centre for
Neuroregeneration Research and the Centre for Integrative Physiology.
School of Molecular and Clinical Medicine
Molecular and Clinical Medicine is one of four Schools in the College of Medicine & Veterinary
Medicine and is headed by Professor Stuart Ralston. The School comprises 3
Interdisciplinary Research Centres - the Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences (incorporating
Clinical Neurosciences and Psychiatry); the Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre
(incorporating Oncology and most of Pathology), and the Molecular Medicine Centre
(incorporating Gastroenterology, Medical Genetics, Psychiatric Genetics and Rheumatic
Diseases). The School also hosts Edinburgh Clinical Trials Unit (ECTU) which recently was
granted full registration with the UK Clinical Research Consortium and was awarded MRC
clinical trials methodology hub status. The School currently attracts grants of approximately
£46M, including a number of full programme grants, and houses over 450 staff including 29
Professors, 200 other academic members of staff and 224 members of support staff.
In addition there are smaller interdisciplinary Research Groups (IDG) in Brain Imaging and
the Disorders of the Ageing Brain and a nascent IDG in the Genetics of Complex Disease
and Related Traits.
The Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine (IGMM) has also recently been established
on the WGH campus as a strategic alliance between the University and the MRC Human
Generics Unit. The IGMM comprises over 500 staff from the MRC Human Genetics Unit, the
Centre for Molecular Medicine and Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre.
The campus houses one of only five Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Facilities (WTCRF) in
the United Kingdom. The WTCRF provides state-of-the-art facilities for investigators
undertaking multi-disciplinary Clinical Research and include clinical, laboratory and
specialised support. There is a common application and administrative process for
applications and investigators can apply to use any, or all, of the resources available.
Further details may be obtained at website: www.wtcrf.ed.ac.uk. The WTCRF hosts the
£15M Clinical Research Imaging Centre at Little France, which comprises a cyclotron, PET
chemistry, a PET/64-slice CT scanner, 3T MRI, the first 320-slice CT in the UK and space for
development of human optical imaging.
The School also houses Edinburgh Clinical Trials Unit (ECTU), a Collaborative Clinical Trials
Unit which was established in 2006 with funding from the NHS and the University of
Edinburgh. The ECTU gained full registration with UKCRC in 2007 and was formally launched
in April 2008. The ECTU Collaboration comprises individual researchers spread across
Lothian, who are based in both university-based research groups and the NHS. An
innovative programme of methodological research underpins a substantive portfolio of
clinical trials. ECTU has established an internationally recognised portfolio of clinical trials,
focusing on a range of clinical specialities, including Emergency Medicine & Critical care,
Head injury, Musculoskeletal disease, Psychological Medicine, Stroke, Experimental
Medicine, Maternal & Child Health, and Cancer. ECTU is part of the Scottish Collaboration of
Trialists.
Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine (IGMM) (http://www.igmm.ac.uk/)
The IGMM (Director, Professor Nick Hastie, CBE, FRS) was formed in 2007, as a
consequence of a strategic alliance between the MRC, the University of Edinburgh and
Cancer Research UK (http://www.igmm.ac.uk/)
The IGMM constitutes one of the largest aggregate of human molecular genetics research
capacity in the UK and brings together over 500 scientists and support staff in a single
scientific endeavour; the IGMM mission is:
“To identify molecular and cellular mechanism underlying normal human development,
maintenance and disease, including malformations, later onset anomalies and cancer, and
translate these findings for clinical benefit".
The IGMM is entering into an exciting phase of further integration and is seeking a
communications professional to support the senior management team in enhancing all
aspects of external and internal communications.
MRC Human Genetics Unit (http://www.hgu.mrc.ac.uk/)
The Medical Research Council Human Genetics Unit is at the forefront of research into
human genetics. Its role is to advance the understanding of genetic factors implicated in
human disease and normal and abnormal development and physiology. The Unit's 20 +
programmes of research cover the themes of developmental genetics, common disease
genetics, chromosome biology and models for human genetic diseases. The unit is one of
the largest MRC research establishments supporting approximately 220 scientists, support
staff, fellows, PhD students and visiting scientists.
Job Description
To contribute primarily to the research into host defense peptides that is focussed on in vivo
determination of the function, involvement in disease and therapeutic potential of the
vertebrate -defensin peptides.
Main Responsibilities
Approx.
% of time
• Conduct an investigation into the phenotypic consequence of deletion of a
series of -defensin genes in the mouse. Mice with deletion of single and multiple
defensin genes have been established and a reproductive phenotype is evident. 50%
Examination of immune deficiency, reproductive fitness, infection susceptibility
and relation to human phenotypes will be required
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records to document the research progress.
Take a lead role in writing up data for publication. Present data at group
meetings, contribute to Edinburgh University immunomodulation group meetings, 10%
and make data available for other workers within the group. Regular reporting of
progress to the PI/other members of the research team is expected
• Contribute to the dissemination and publication of own/research team’s
15%
research findings (as appropriate)
• Communicate with collaborators in order to use methodologies established in
other labs both within Edinburgh and possibly worldwide. This may involve time 5%
spent in collaborators labs
• To continually update knowledge and understanding in innate immunity and
7.5%
cationic host defense functional interrogation
• To provide guidance and supervision for student projects and instruction of
12.5%
students
Planning and Organising
The post-holder will plan and manage own programme of research activity on an ongoing
basis, to ensure that the research is conducted in accordance with the research timetable.
They will direct where appropriate the Research support staff with responsibility for the
animal colonies used in the project and work together to do phenotypic analysis.
Problem Solving
The post holder is expected to resolve most problems using accumulated experience, with
only the most serious non-standard issues reported to the line manager for assistance. To
use creativity and initiative and literature searching to identify areas for research, develop
new research methods, diversify the research parameters. Use initiative to analyse and
interpret research data, and draw conclusions from it. Use initiative to help other
researchers in the team to resolve project problems and develop new techniques and
methods, as appropriate.
Decision Making
Taken independently: Organise own workload according to priority and adapt as
necessary, setting of short-term time-lines, design experimental set-up to address specific
research aims
Level of Direction Given: Line manager will offer general orientation and advice, in
addition to support in developing and implementation of research strategy, there will be an
appropriate degree of independence
Key Contacts/Relationships
Internal: Julia Dorin
External: Collaborators in Edinburgh University particularly in Physics and the Vet School
and also those at Centre of Inflammation at Little France with experience in infection
models, innate immunity and reproduction
Person Specification
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A PhD and previous experience in immunology or infectious disease research is
essential
Practical experience of murine models of infectious diseases or inflammatory models
is very desirable
Previous practical experience of innate immunity, molecular biology and/or fertility
assays essential
Ability to communicate complex information clearly, orally and in writing is essential
Must be Enthusiastic, Interested in Science, Determined, Able to work as part of a
team
Experience in biochemistry or reproductive immunity a desirable advantage.
Dimensions
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Supervision of research technician with responsibility for this project
Assisting in supervision and lab direction of at least 1 Ph D student
Working together within group with two part-time postdoctoral researchers, a further
senior technician and answerable to project leader. Interacting with animal house
staff where necessary.
Produce data for inclusion in approximately 2 published articles pa in appropriate
refereed journals in line with School RAE strategy
Salary
The role is University grade UE07 and attracts an annual salary of £29,972 to £35,788 for
35 hours, each week. Salary is paid monthly by direct transfer to your Bank or Building
Society account, normally on the 28th of the month. Salaries for part-time staff are
calculated on the full-time scales, pro-rata to the Standard Working Week.
This post is available initially for a 3 year term.
Informal enquiries contact Julia.dorin@hgu.mrc.ac.uk.
Post is available immediately.
It is anticipated that the MRC Human Genetics Unit will become part of the University of
Edinburgh on 1 October 2011 (the "MRC Human Genetics Unit at the MRC IGMM at the
University of Edinburgh"). As the start date for this post will be after the planned merger
date this position will be a University appointment and subject to University terms and
conditions. During this recruitment exercise applicants should note that their application
details will be shared with the MRC HGU.
Immigration
Should you require a visa to undertake paid employment in the UK you will be required to
fulfil the minimum points criteria to be granted a Certificate of Sponsorship and Tier 2 visa.
As appropriate, at the time an offer of appointment is made, you will be asked to
demonstrate that you fulfil the criteria in respect of financial maintenance and competency
in English.
Application Procedure
We encourage all applicants to apply online at http://www.jobs.ed.ac.uk/. The application
process is quick and easy to follow, and you will receive email confirmation of safe receipt of
your application. The online system allows you to submit a CV.
Alternatively, call our recruitment line on 0131 650 2511 or email jobs@ed.ac.uk for an
application pack. Please complete and return the Application form, including a statement
addressing how your application meets the Person Specification, Additional Personal
Information Form and Rehabilitation of Offenders Form to Human Resources Manager, MRC
Human Genetics Unit, Western General Hospital, Crewe Road, Edinburgh EH4 2XU by the
closing date of 17 October 2011. Please complete the equal opportunities form and return
in the separate prepaid envelope. We cannot guarantee to consider late applications.
Please quote job reference no : 3014869
The University reserves the right to vary the candidate information or make no
appointment at all. Neither in part, nor in whole does this information form part of
any contract between the University and any individual.
The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in Scotland, with
registration number SC005336.