Dementia is the biggest 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 driving forward research to fill this gap.
Cambridge Developing new treatments that can prevent the onset of dementia or protect neurons from damage is hindered by our lack of knowledge in the fundamental causes and mechanisms behind neurodegeneration. Scientists at the UK DRI at Cambridge use cutting-edge approaches to build our understanding of the biological processes behind the earliest stages of neurodegeneration and ageing. They explore mechanisms causing the loss of vital connections between neurons and the pathways that drive repair of these connections, which are essential for memory formation and survival of brain cells and identify key molecular targets for translation into effective treatments to stop, slow or reverse dementia.
Applications are invited for a Senior Research Associate position at the UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI), at the University of Cambridge, Department of Clinical Neurosciences. The post is within a collaboration between the laboratories of Professor Sir David Klenerman at the UK DRI and Professor Maria Grazia Spillantini in the Department of Clinical Neurosciences. The project aims to study how protein homeostasis is disrupted in human derived IPSC neurons leading to the formation of increased numbers of tau aggregates and how aggregates spread from neuron to neuron by super-resolution imaging of the aggregates formed in and secreted by the neurons.
We are now looking for an experienced postdoctoral research associate to work on analysis of tau aggregation in iPSC-derived neurons and glia (astrocytes, microglia, oligodendrocytes) from patients with inherited tauopathies. Expertise is required in maintenance and differentiation of IPSC lines, and advanced biochemical, cell, and molecular biological techniques, including proteomic analysis of conditioned media, RNA and protein analysis of cells, and experience in cell stress induction and analysis.
The post holder will have a PhD and expertise in culturing stem cells, on astrocyte biology, and in particular on different types of cell stress induction and analysis.
For informal enquires please contact Prof Sir David Klenerman dk10012@cam.ac.uk or Professor Maria Grazia Spillantini mgs11@cam.ac.uk
