Research Assistant/Associate

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 22 May 2026

The Role

We have an exciting opportunity to work on an MRC funded project investigating the mechanistic role of PFKFB3 in Metabolic dysfunction associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and Liver cancer. The project is led by Professor Fiona Oakley in collaboration with Edinburgh University. You will be embedded within the Newcastle Fibrosis Research Group in the Biosciences Institute at Newcastle University, and the project will involve tissue cultures of pre clinical models and complex cell cultures (including ex vivo precision cut liver or tumour slice cultures), to explore the impact of cell specific modulation of PFKFB3 to interrogate the disease biology, identify new drug targets. The project will involve advanced histological, biochemical and molecular approaches. You will be responsible for collection, processing, analysis, presentation (writing, graph production, image production and oral presentations at national/international conferences) and storage of experimental data in accurate, secure, detailed and up to date records of all work carried out to GLP standard. You will use your knowledge and experience of liver fibrosis and liver cancer, in vivo models to deliver this challenging project. This post is full time, fixed term for a period of 2 years.

Responsibilities

• Although working under the general guidance of an academic or Principal Investigator, the postholder will contribute ideas, including enhancements to the technical or methodological aspects of their studies, thus providing substantial 'added value'.
• Develop and carry out the specified project using appropriate techniques and equipment as outlined in the personal requirements.
• Determine appropriate methodologies for research, with advice and support where required.
• Contribute to grant applications submitted by others and in time develop own research objectives and proposals for funding.
• Begin to write, with appropriate support, proposals for individual research funding or, where funders do not permit this, contribute to the writing of collective bids.
• Assess research findings for the need/scope for further investigations.
• Contribute to the writing up of their research for publication and dissemination, either through seminar and conference presentations or through publications.
• Present research findings, either at conferences or through publications in reputable outlets appropriate to the discipline.
• May be involved in the supervision, with guidance, of final year undergraduate research projects and in providing support to postgraduate research students or Research Assistants.
• Will need to work with the support staff and, on occasions, with undergraduate and postgraduate students, and interact intellectually with other academic members of the Institute.
• May contribute to events celebrating the public engagement of science/social sciences/humanities.
• Develop an awareness of University structures, policies and procedures and relevant issues in the higher education, research, social and political environment.

The Person

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Detailed knowledge of the molecular and immunological mechanisms of liver fibrosis and liver cancer biology.
• Ability to work well as part of a team and rapidly acquire new skills.
• Likelihood of advanced skills directly related to the research projects.
• High level of analytical and problem solving capability.
• Ability to communicate complex information with clarity and to encourage the commitment of others.
• Experience of research with clear transferable skills and some experience or awareness of the research environment.
• Presentations at conferences and/or high quality publications.
• The ability to work collaboratively with colleagues and manage and co ordinate complex projects across multiple research teams.
• Experience of working with mouse models of liver fibrosis and/or liver cancer.
• Excellent skills in flow cytometry, including the design and validation of Flow panels.
• Experience of Cell culture including primary cells.
• Excellent skills in preparing both mouse and human tissues for histological analysis.
• Single cell RNA seq.
• Experience of working with a Home Office Personal Licence (PIL) under Animal (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 (ASPA).
• Skills in bioinformatics (e.g. knowledge of Matlab, R, Python).
• Experience of imaging mass cytometry (IMC) and associated analysis.
• Experience of working with complex 3D culture models, e.g. precision cut tissue slices.
• Experience of isolation of human and mouse primary liver cells.

Attributes and Behaviour

• Able to work independently as well as part of a team.
• Enthusiastic and hard working.
• Willingness to work outside normal office hours on occasion if required.
• A commitment to research as evidenced by completion of previous research projects and publications.
• Willingness to engage with and disseminate research to the public.
• Ability to modify and apply new methods to advance the project.

Qualifications

• Honours degree with some subject knowledge of liver fibrosis and cancer biology (Research Assistant).
• A PhD (or close to completion for appointment at Research Assistant) in liver fibrosis and/or cancer biology required (Research Associate).

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect. As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution. We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society. We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent. We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population. At Newcastle University we hold a Gold Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality. We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education. We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme. In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe.