Research Assistant/Associate in Quantifying Neurodegenerative Disease Proteins in Newcastle upon Tyne

Overview

Salary: Research Assistant £33,002 - £34,610 per annum; Research Associate £35,608 per annum. Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits including a generous holiday package, pension schemes, and health and wellbeing initiatives.

Closing Date: 9 February 2026

The Role

We are seeking a post-doctoral Researcher based at the Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, UK. We focus on the neurobiological basis of Lewy body disorders such as dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson’s, aiming to identify novel biomarkers, treatments, and therapeutic interventions. The project will focus on identifying biomarkers of Parkinson’s and dementia with Lewy bodies and their application in clinical practice, emphasising the chemical and biochemical aspects of biomarker discovery.

The studies will determine the pathological changes in these disorders, how they relate to underlying disease biology, and how biomarker changes can be translated into clinical use through various patient samples, including post-mortem brain tissue and patient biofluids obtained during life. The post will develop and apply analytical chemistry and protein chemistry techniques to interrogate patient samples, exploring molecular and chemical alterations underlying pathology in Lewy body disorders.

Key Accountabilities

• Contribute ideas and enhancements to the technical or methodological aspects of studies.
• Develop and carry out the specified project using appropriate techniques and equipment.
• Determine appropriate methodologies for research, with advice and support where required.
• Contribute to grant applications and develop own research objectives and proposals for funding.
• Write proposals for individual research funding or contribute to collective bids.
• Assess research findings for further investigations.
• Contribute to writing up research for publication and dissemination.
• Present research findings at conferences or through publications.
• May supervise final year undergraduate research projects and support postgraduate research students.
• Work with support staff and interact with other academic members of the Institute.
• Contribute to events celebrating public engagement in science/social sciences/humanities.
• Develop an awareness of University structures, policies, and relevant issues in higher education.
• Contribute intellectual input to methodological innovation in protein chemistry and analytical techniques.
• Analyse research findings to identify novel chemical markers of disease progression.

The Person

• Ability to work well as part of a team and rapidly acquire new skills.
• Detailed subject knowledge in the area of research.
• High level of analytical and problem-solving capability.
• Ability to communicate complex information clearly.
• Experience of research with transferable skills and awareness of the research environment.
• Presentations at conferences and/or high-quality publications.
• Understanding of neurodegenerative disorders and protein aggregation.
• Experience in biochemical assay methods with patient samples and protein chemistry.
• Experience with analytical chemistry methods such as chromatography and mass spectrometry desirable.
• Proven ability to develop or adapt assay methodology.

Desirable

• Rational design and small scale synthesis of small (fluorescent) molecules.

Attributes and Behaviour

• Collegial and professional, able to work independently and collaboratively.
• Strong communication skills, able to present complex data clearly.
• Motivated to apply chemical and biochemical methods to translational neuroscience.

Qualifications

• Close to completion of PhD in research area required (Research Assistant).
• PhD in chemistry, biochemistry, or a related discipline, with experience applying biochemical/chemical methods to human tissue or clinical samples (Research Associate).

Newcastle University is committed to being a fully inclusive university, actively recruiting, supporting, and retaining colleagues from all sectors of society. We value diversity and celebrate the contributions of all employees and the communities they represent.