Postdoctoral Fellow – Moris Lab

Salary for this Role: From £45,500 with benefits, subject to skills and experience.

Reports to: Naomi Moris – Group Leader

Working pattern: This is a full-time, four-year position on Crick terms and conditions of employment.

Application closing date: 25th of February at 23.59

About us: The Francis Crick Institute is Europe’s largest biomedical research institute under one roof. Our world-class scientists and staff collaborate on vital research to help prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, infectious diseases and neurodegenerative conditions. The Crick is a place for collaboration, innovation and exploration across many disciplines. A space where the brightest minds can pursue big and bold ideas and discover answers to crucial scientific questions. We support them in a dynamic environment which fosters excellence with state-of-the-art infrastructure, cutting-edge facilities, and a creative and curious culture. We’ve removed traditional boundaries of departments, divisions and disciplines and instead have an open approach that supports every researcher. This gives us the freedom to take risks and carry out high-quality, pioneering research. Creating a space for discovery without boundaries helps us to turn our science into benefits for human health and the economy.

The Role: Much remains to be discovered about the molecular basis of human embryonic development, especially regarding the emergence of the body plan. Research in the Developmental Models laboratory aims to uncover the principles of human development using cutting-edge in vitro model systems, including stem cell-based embryo models (SCBEMs). Our findings aim to unravel principles of embryogenesis, including the co-development of tissues and organ primordia.

The Project: The postholder will use the recently described human Trunk-like Structures (hTLS; Makwana et al., 2025 Nature Cell Biology) to explore the biology of myogenesis in vitro, including how interactions between neighbouring cell types (such as neurons and endothelium) contribute to its maturation. Bioengineering approaches will be used to explore prolonging culture, and benchmarking between in vitro models and in vivo mouse embryos will allow us to uncover shared regulatory principles for deeper insight into emergence of the body plan.

Applicants should have a strong background in developmental biology, stem cell biology, muscle biology or related fields. Training will be provided in all aspects of the work, and the candidate will be supported in their professional development goals (e.g. fellowship applications, conference presenting etc).

What you will be doing: You will:

• Develop project ideas and propose hypotheses and further research directions
• Design and lead a high-quality experimental programme of work
• Carry out a range of experimental protocols, including tissue culture of human pluripotent stem cells, embryo model generation, imaging, molecular characterisation etc.
• Fully analyse data
• Assist with laboratory duties, including supporting other early career researchers
• Keep accurate and reproducible records of experiments
• Present at laboratory meetings and/or interest groups
• Report findings through local and international presentations and manuscript preparation

About you: You will have:

• PhD in biology, or similar
• Good background in developmental biology and understanding of the field
• Experience in leading your own research project
• Experience of human pluripotent stem cell culture (hPSCs)
• Track record of writing papers as evidenced by publications or manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals
• Ability to work both independently and within a group
• Mouse embryo work, bioinformatic analysis and imaging of 3D embryos/organoids (Desirable)

About Working at the Crick: Our values: Everyone who works at the Crick has a valuable role to play in advancing the Crick’s mission and shaping our culture. We are bold. We make space for creative, dynamic and imaginative ideas and approaches. We’re not afraid to do things differently. We are open. We’re highly collaborative and interactive, and make sure our activities are visible to the outside world. We are collegial. We show respect for one another, work cooperatively and support the wider community. At the Francis Crick Institute, we believe that diversity and inclusion are essential to driving innovation and scientific discovery. We are committed to creating a workplace where everyone feels valued, respected, and empowered to succeed, regardless of their background, identity, or personal circumstances. We actively encourage applications from individuals of all genders, ethnicities, abilities, and experiences. We are a Disability Confident: Committed employer and want to ensure that everyone can apply and be part of our recruitment processes and so we’ll make reasonable adjustments if you need them - just let us know when you apply. If you need assistance with applying (i.e., would like to apply by phone or post) please email: karen.au@crick.ac.uk

What will you receive? At the Francis Crick Institute, we value our team members and are proud to offer an extensive range of benefits to support their well-being and development:

• Visas: Applicants for this role will be eligible for sponsorship to work in the UK
• Generous Leave: 28 days of annual leave, plus three additional days over Christmas and bank holidays.
• Pension Scheme: Defined contribution pension with employer contributions of up to 16%.
• Health & Well-being: 24/7 GP consultation services. Occupational health services and mental health support programs. Eye care vouchers and discounted healthcare plans.
• Work-Life Balance: Back-up care for dependents. Childcare support allowance. Annual leave purchase options. Crick Networks offering diverse groups’ support, community and inclusive social events.
• Perks: Discounted gym memberships, bike-to-work scheme, and shopping discounts. Subsidised on-site restaurant and social spaces for team interaction.

Please note you must meet the essential criteria listed within the Role Profile, to have your application reviewed. We reserve the right to withdraw this advert at any given time due to the number of applications received.