EPIC(GB) Translational Research Technician in Sheffield

The position is based within Sheffield’s Translational Neuro-Oncology Research Group (STraNO) in the School of Medicine and Population Health, and will involve partnerships with other EPICGB recruiting centres across the UK and internationally. EPICGB is an ambitious, large-scale research programme designed to accelerate access to life‑extending therapies for patients with glioblastoma by establishing an adaptive, multi‑cohort clinical trial platform integrating pharmacokinetic (PK), pharmacodynamic (PD) and clinical outcome data. The EPICGB Translational Research Technician will support the coordination of tissue transfers, processing and biobanking of tissue samples for PK/PD analyses, and experimentally triage potential PD biomarkers.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Coordinate and manage the acquisition, transfer, processing and biobanking of human tissue samples from EPICGB clinical sites, ensuring high‑quality, standardised workflows (SOPs) across the network.
• Establish, maintain and quality‑control clinically annotated biospecimen collections, supporting downstream pharmacokinetic (PK), pharmacodynamic (PD) and translational analyses.
• Develop, optimise and implement laboratory assays to assess pharmacodynamic biomarkers and drug effects in patient‑derived tissues and models.
• Maintain and perform experimental studies using patient‑derived cell and tissue models, including models from the Sheffield Living Biobank, to evaluate therapeutic response.
• Experimentally triage and validate candidate PD biomarkers, generating data to inform decision‑making within the EPICGB adaptive trial platform.
• Maintain accurate, detailed and auditable experimental records, including sample tracking, metadata annotation, and integration with clinical datasets where appropriate.
• Work collaboratively across a multi‑centre network, liaising with clinical teams, ICR‑CTSU, academic partners and industry collaborators to ensure efficient sample and data flow.
• Contribute to the integration of laboratory findings with clinical trial data, supporting iterative learning between preclinical and clinical components of EPICGB.
• Prepare regular reports and present findings at group meetings and collaborative forums, contributing to programme‑wide discussions and decision‑making.
• Support the preparation of scientific outputs, including abstracts, reports and manuscripts, as part of a collaborative translational research programme.
• Contribute to the training and supervision of students and junior researchers, particularly in sample maintenance, laboratory techniques and best practices in translational research.
• Maintain compliance with relevant regulatory, ethical and biosafety standards, including human tissue governance and data management requirements.
• Undertake additional duties commensurate with the grade and evolving needs of the EPICGB programme.

Person Specification

We celebrate diversity and encourage applicants whose experience may not match the exact criteria but who can bring valuable contributions. Please reference the application criteria in your application statement.

Essential Criteria

• Strong practical experience in mammalian cell culture and handling of human tissue samples, including aseptic technique and basic molecular/cellular laboratory methods (e.g. immunostaining, protein/RNA analysis, viability assays).
• Experience of working with human biospecimens or biobanking workflows (e.g. tissue processing, storage, tracking, or annotation).
• Experience of performing laboratory experiments, with the ability to accurately record, manage and interpret experimental data.
• Ability to contribute to optimisation and troubleshooting of experimental protocols (e.g. assay development, adapting workflows).
• Knowledge of good laboratory practice, biosafety and relevant regulatory/ethical frameworks (e.g. Human Tissue Act or equivalent).
• Strong organisational and time management skills, with the ability to manage multiple samples, datasets and deadlines with high attention to detail.
• Ability to maintain accurate, auditable laboratory records and sample tracking systems.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams and external partners.
• Degree in a relevant biological science (or equivalent experience).
• Appropriate IT skills, including Microsoft Office suite and GraphPad Prism (or equivalent).
• Experience with advanced patient‑derived models (e.g. organoids, tissue slice culture or other ex vivo systems) and/or pharmacodynamic/biomarker assays (e.g. immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence).

Desirable Criteria

• Experience with advanced molecular techniques (e.g. lentiviral transfection, CRISPR‑cas9) and/or omics (e.g. spatial proteomics, spatial transcriptomics, single‑cell/nucleus sequencing).

Benefits

• A minimum of 41 days annual leave including bank holiday and closure days (pro‑rata) with the ability to purchase more.
• Flexible working opportunities, including hybrid working for some roles.
• Generous pension scheme.
• A wide range of discounts and rewards on shopping, eating out and travel.
• Recognition awards to reward staff who go above and beyond in their role.
• A commitment to your development through learning and mentoring schemes integrated with our Academic Career Pathways.
• A range of generous family‑friendly policies, including paid time off for parenting and caring emergencies, support for those going through menopause, and paid time off and support for fertility treatment.

Contact

Website: https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/medicine/department-neuroscience/ola-rominiyi

Program Lead: Mr Ola Rominiyi (o.rominiyi@sheffield.ac.uk)

Recruitment support: smph-west-staffing@sheffield.ac.uk

Equality and Inclusion

We are a Disability Confident Employer and recognise the value of steady employment. Possession of a criminal record is not an automatic bar to employment. An enhanced DBS check with barred lists will be required for this role.