Research Assistant UCL

Vacancy Reference Number
B02-07102
Closing Date
26 Jun 2024
Salary
Salary offered in the range of £37,332 - £39,980 per annum, inclusive of London Allowance.
Address
UK DRI at UCL, Queen Square- Hybrid
Duration
The post is available immediately and funded by the UK DRI for three years or until 31 July 2027, whichever is earlier, in the first instance.

About the job

Dementia is the greatest health challenge of our century.

To date there is no way to prevent it or even slow its progression, and there is an urgent need to fill the knowledge gap in our basic understanding of the diseases that cause it.

The UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI) is the biggest UK initiative supporting research to fill the major knowledge gap in our basic understanding of the diseases that cause dementia.

The De Strooper/Arancibia Lab focuses on understanding the fundamental mechanisms that underlie neurodegenerative disease, with a particular interest in the cellular phase of Alzheimer’s disease, the neuro-immune axis and single cell genomics.

Bart De Strooper’s lab is divided between Leuven, Belgium and the Francis Crick institute in London, embedded in both vibrant research communities with extensive access to state-of-the-art support, infrastructure, and collaborations.

We are looking for a Research Assistant interested in the cell biology of late onset Alzheimer’s Disease to join the lab as part of an ongoing research effort to understand the role of AD risk genes in modifying cellular responses in disease.

While the formation of extracellular Aβ plaques and intracellular tau tangles are hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease we still do not understand how aggregates of these protein form, how amyloid plaques induce tau pathology, and how their formation is related to synaptic dysfunction and cell death. A recent breakthrough in the laboratory (Balusu et al., Science 2023, PMID 37708272) has linked the major pathology in one pathway. You will work on a project to model this pathway in a cell culture model of the disease and to use this model for drug target and drug screening. This is an excellent opportunity to work on a high impact, state-of-the-art project in a stimulating and social international research environment, undertaking world-class science under the guidance of a leader in Alzheimer’s biology.

Essential Criteria

To apply visit here.

If you need reasonable adjustments or a more accessible format to apply for this job online, or have any queries regarding the application process, please contact the Institute of Neurology HR Team (ion.hradmin@ucl.ac.uk)