Research Technician (Southampton University)

Vacancy Reference Number
1202519BJ
Closing Date
11 Dec 2019
Salary
£25,217 to £30,046 per annum
Address
Southampton
Duration
6 months full time, or 9 months 0.6 FTE.

Applications are invited to join a multidisciplinary team to study the role of systemic inflammation and periodontitis as risk factors for the progression of dementia.

The post is available from 1st January 2020 for a period of 6 months full time, or 9 months 0.6 FTE. Interviews are planned for December.

Short description of the project: 

The UK has 850,000 people with dementia, with 60-70% of all cases due to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Work from the University of Southampton has recognised systemic inflammation as a risk factor for accelerated onset and progression of dementia in AD. These studies showed that bacterial infections, such as periodontitis, significantly increases the rate of cognitive decline. Periodontal disease is a treatable/controllable condition, thus provides targeted treatment approaches to improve AD outcomes. This Dunhill Trust funded project aims to analyse markers of inflammation and prior exposure to periodontal pathogens in blood samples of a population cohort and correlate the findings to cognitive function. The results of this project may provide insight into the pathogenesis of dementia and could lead to novel or optimized therapeutic strategies by modulation of oral hygiene and/or systemic inflammation.

The University of Southampton and the Centre for Biological Sciences both hold an Athena Swan Silver Award, demonstrating their commitment to provide equal opportunities and to advance the representation of women in STEM/M subjects: science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine.  Biological Sciences is able to provide flexible working opportunities in a part-time role and due consideration will be given to applicants who have taken a career break.

The University has a generous maternity policy, onsite childcare facilities and employees are able to participate in the childcare vouchers scheme. Other benefits include state-of-the-art on-campus sports, arts and culture facilities, a full programme of events and a range of staff discounts.

Application Procedure

You should submit your completed application form online at https://jobs.soton.ac.uk. The application deadline will be midnight on the closing date stated above. If you need any assistance, please call Dan Ward (Recruitment Team) on +44 (0) 23 8059 7749. Please quote reference 1202519BJ on all correspondence.

For more information and to apply, please click here. 

Contact Details

Informal enquiries about the post can be made to Professor Jessica Teeling. http://www.southampton.ac.uk/biosci/about/staff/jt8.page