Research Associate in Nanomedicine

Grade UE07: £41,064 to £48,822 per annum

College of Science and Engineering / School of Engineering

Full Time: 35 hours per week

Fixed Term: for up to 24 months

The Opportunity:

Where curiosity becomes impact

With roles from hospitality to research, there’s a career for everyone at the University of Edinburgh. We can offer opportunities for you to develop in your career and make a real difference in the communities around us while contributing to the world at large.

We offer careers and roles in just about every area you can think of. Whether you are looking for entry-level, mid-career or roles at the top of your chosen specialism, we can offer you a career where you can flourish and make a real difference in the communities around us while contributing to the world at large. Our people come from a wide range of backgrounds, each bringing their abilities and experiences to our organisation.

The University isn’t just any employer. We are part of a local community and a contributor to global thinking, progress and research. In Edinburgh, you are in one of the world’s most attractive cities with active arts and social sectors, while working in a University that has made significant contributions to society, medicine, physics and teaching for over four centuries. Our people have helped create the modern world and are working on more ground-breaking technologies and practices. Join the University of Edinburgh and you’ll be making a difference to everything around you

The University of Edinburgh is a world-class organisation. We look for the best in the field across all disciplines and provide a working environment where academics can develop their careers and passion for their chosen subject area. We offer the full range of academic roles and have a genuine focus on our students performance and wellbeing.

Develop next-generation magnetic nanoparticle technologies for drug delivery to the CNS

Join a world-leading research community at the University of Edinburgh, where ambitious interdisciplinary research is translated into new approaches to major scientific and societal challenges.

This is an academic research role.

The School of Engineering seeks to appoint a Research Associate in Nanomedicine to contribute to an Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA)-funded project on drug delivery to the Central Nervous System (CNS). The project is conducted in collaboration between Prof Michael Chen and Prof Guangzhao Mao in the School of Engineering.

The successful candidate will undertake research on the development, synthesis, characterisation, biofunctionalisation and biological evaluation of magnetic nanoparticles for CNS drug delivery, including surface functionalisation with proteins, peptides and other targeting ligands. The role will involve independent research and close collaboration with other members of the ARIA project team, analysis and interpretation of research data, and dissemination of findings through publications and conference presentations.

Applicants should have, or be within three months of completing, a PhD in Chemistry, Biomedical Engineering, Materials Science or a closely related discipline, together with relevant research experience in nanomedicine, magnetic nanoparticle synthesis and characterisation, functionalisation and/or biological evaluation. Strong collaborative, analytical and communication skills are essential.

We are looking for a motivated researcher with expertise in nanomedicine and magnetic nanoparticle research to join this collaborative ARIA-funded programme.

A career with us has a range of other benefits that can be tailored to your lifestyle:

This post is full-time. The role is primarily laboratory-based on the University of Edinburgh campus.

• A competitive salary.
• An exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to work.
• To be part of a diverse and vibrant international community.
• Comprehensive Staff Benefits, including generous annual leave entitlement, a defined benefits pension scheme, a wide range of staff discounts, family-friendly initiatives, and flexible work options. Check out the full list on our staff benefits page and use our reward calculator to discover the value of your pay and benefits.

Championing equality, diversity, and inclusion

The University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education.We are members of the Race Equality Charter, and we are also a Stonewall Proud Employer, actively promoting LGBTQ+ equality.

Prior to any employment commencing with the University, you will be required to evidence your right to work in the UK. Further information is available on our right to work webpages.

The University may be able to sponsor the employment of international workers in this role. This will depend on a number of factors specific to the successful applicant.

Key dates to note

The closing date for applications is 5 October 2026.

Unless stated otherwise the closing time for applications is 11:59pm UK time. If you are applying outside the UK the closing time on our adverts automatically adjusts to your browsers local time zone.

Interview dates to be confirmed.