Research Associate

**Job Description**:
**Job Title**:Research Associate (in vitro)

**Posting Start Date**:15/10/2025

**Job Id**:1701

**School/Department**:School of Medicine & Population Health

**Work Arrangement**:Full Time (On site)

**Contract Type**:Fixed-term

**Salary per annum (£)**:38,784.00

**Closing Date**:04/11/2025

**Overview**
- An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN). SITraN is a purpose-built research facility which was opened in November 2010 by Her Majesty the Queen and awarded the Queen’s Anniversary prize for higher education in 2020 in recognition of having made an outstanding positive impact in patient’s lives. The Institute houses clinical and basic scientists from the Department of Neuroscience and the primary focus is research into neurodegenerative disorders such as Motor Neurone Disease (MND), Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
- This post is fixed-term for 2 years.

**Main duties and responsibilities**
- Design, set-up and run experiments in relation to the project after consultation with the Principal Investigators.
- Demonstrate a high level of competence in _in vitro_ techniques, particularly human cells, immunocytochemistry, imaging and cell based assays.
- Demonstrate a high level of competence in molecular and cellular biology techniques, particularly gene and protein expression analysis in neurons and astrocytes.
- Keep excellent scientific records and analyze and interpret experimental data, prepare reports and present data in team meetings.
- Prepare papers for journals / presentations either in-house or at national / international conferences or seminars to disseminate research findings.
- Write and document lab procedures, protocols and study design.
- Read academic papers, journals and textbooks and attend conferences to keep abreast of relevant scientific developments in the field.
- Teamwork
- provide help to other researchers in the same laboratory in related fields of research, co-ordinate activities with other group members.
- Plan for specific aspects of the research programme as discussed with the supervisor of the project.
- Assist in the day-to-day management and delivery of the project.
- For each particular hypothesis, plan for own contribution up to three months ahead, incorporating issues such as the availability of resources, deadlines, project milestones and overall research aims. Design individual experiments weekly.
- Supervise research team/activities including the work of graduate students if required.
- Continuously monitor and check results. The unpredictability of research means that daily planning needs to accommodate new developments.
- Order all reagents/consumables required for the experimental work.
- Liaise with staff from other Departments or outside agencies.
- As a member of staff you will be encouraged to make ethical decisions in your role, embedding the University sustainability strategy into your working activities wherever possible.
- Any other duties, commensurate with the grade of the post.

**Person Specification**

**Criteria**

**Essential or desirable**

**Stage(s) assessed at**
A PhD (or equivalent experience) in neuroscience.EssentialApplicationExperience of mammalian cell culture, including human derived iPSC or iNPC handling and differentiation into neuronal or glial subtypes.EssentialApplicationExperience with biochemical and molecular biology techniques such as qRT-PCR, western blotting, ELISA, immunohistochemistry.
EssentialApplicationExperience with analysis of tissue from in vivo disease models or human CNSDesirableApplicationGeneric IT skills, including the ability to use statistical programs (Graph Pad Prism), in addition to Microsoft Office suite.EssentialApplicationExperience of designing experiments, collecting and analyzing data and experience in statistical methods and analysisEssentialApplication/interviewAwareness of laboratory safety and general laboratory competence.EssentialApplication/interviewEffective communication skills, both written and verbal, report writing skills, experience of delivering presentations ; communicating to staff at all levels the organization’s strategic plan and their personal contribution towards it.EssentialApplication/interviewAbility to work independently as well as part of a multidisciplinary team to meet deadlines.EssentialApplication/interviewAttention to detail and a proven ability to keep accurate and reliable records.EssentialApplication/interviewGood organizational and time management skills.EssentialInterviewAbility to develop creative approaches to problem solving.EssentialInterview**Further Information**

**Grade**
7**Salary**
£38,784 to £42,254**Work arrangement**
Full-time

**Duration**
2 years**Line manager**
Professor

**Direct reports**
NA**Our website**- **Next steps in the recruitment process**

**Our vision and strategic plan**
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