JOB DESCRIPTION
This form summarises the purpose of the job and lists its key tasks.
It may be varied from time to time at the discretion of the College in consultation with the post holder.
Job Title: Postdoctoral Researcher in Mouse Optogenetics
Job ref no: CBS/0136/12
Grade: 6
Department: Comparative Biomedical Sciences
Accountable to: Professor Dominic Wells
Responsible for: N/A
Job summary:
This postdoctoral researcher will work under the supervision of Professor Wells as part of a team including the
neuromechanics postdoctoral researcher on this project (Post A), as well as the technicians, PhD students and
undergraduate students working within the Neuromuscular and Structure & Motion Laboratories more broadly.
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Manage the day-to-day running of the projects, working as part of a collaborative team including researchers from the
Neuromuscular Group, the Structure & Motion Laboratory, and the wider scientific community.

Develop optogenetics constructs targeted to the proprioceptive sensory neurons.
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Screen new transgenic mouse lines for expression of optogenetic constructs (PCR, fluorescent microscopy).

Perform dissections and microCT scanning to build a detailed musculoskeletal model of the mouse limb.

Develop implantation of optical cuffs for sciatic nerve and branches thereof.
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To contribute to public engagement activities to maximise the impact of the work.
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To follow Good Research Practice, Health and Safety and Ethics policies as applicable to the work.

Other activities will include intellectual contribution to the Neuromuscular and SML research groups as a whole, with
a modest amount of student project supervision.
Competency: Communication
Key tasks:
 Publish (or contribute to publishing) the project results in international quality peer-reviewed journals.
 Present research results at local seminars and national or international conferences.
 Participate and contribute to group scientific meetings and to the intellectual environment of the Neuromuscular
Group as a whole.
 Collate and analyse research results, communicating them effectively, both verbally and in writing, to members of
the research group.
 Explain the research in public engagement activities and non-specialist public communications.
Competency: Team Work and Motivation
Key tasks:
 Work with team members to build long-term datasets in specialist software.
 Work effectively as a member of the project team and the Neuromuscular Group as a whole.
 Mentor and motivate research students working in the lab on aspects of the project.
Supervise technicians or other support staff in the Neuromuscular Group as needed to conduct the research.
Competency: Planning and Organising
Key tasks:
 Design experiments to answer key questions posed in the research.
 Refine those questions through interpretation of modelling and experimental results.

Manage research records and data archives in both electronic and hard copy formats as required for Good
Research Practice and in keeping with project requirements.
Competency: Initiative and Problem Solving
Key tasks:
 Propose refinements to our understanding of the function of muscles and sense organs in the context of fast
running animals.
 Design new experiments that harness optogenetics to probe the neuromechanical basis of locomotion.
 Take primary responsibility for overcoming problems that arise during the collection, analysis and presentation of
data for the project.
 Design and refine new experimental methods as necessary to adjust experimental protocols.
Competency: Analysis and Research
Key tasks:
 Quantification of levels of expression of optogenetic constructs using Q-PCR and image analysis packages.
 Analyse specificity of construct expression in transgenic mice.
Competency: Liaison and Networking
Key tasks:
 Develop and maintain a good working relationship with colleagues and co-workers.
 Participate in College activities such as seminar series, training workshops and journal clubs.
Competency: Work Environment
Key tasks:
 Following training if necessary, take reasonable precautions for your own safety and the safety of co-workers.
 Follow Good Research Practice (GRP), Health & Safety and Ethics policies as applicable to the work.
Competency: Teaching and Learning Support
Key tasks:
 Post will include opportunities for supervision of student projects.
 Technical and intellectual contribution to the research group as a whole.
Flexibility: To deliver services effectively, a degree of flexibility is needed and the post holder may be required to perform
work not specifically referred to above.