Research Assistant/Associate in Neuromuscular Diseases

We are a world class research-intensive university. We deliver teaching and learning of the highest quality. We play a leading role in economic, social and cultural development of the North East of England. Attracting and retaining high-calibre people is fundamental to our continued success.

Salary
Research Assistant: £34,630 to £36,320 per annum.
Research Associate: £37,369 to £46,970 per annum.

The Role
We are excited to offer an opportunity for a Research Assistant/ Associate in Neuromuscular Diseases to join the John Walton Muscular Dystrophy Research Centre (JWMDRC) at Newcastle University.

The successful candidate will join a multidisciplinary and internationally recognised research environment bringing together clinicians, basic scientists, bioinformaticians, computational biologists and clinical trial specialists, all working towards the development of innovative therapies for rare neuromuscular diseases.

This 18-month full-time fixed-term position is funded through two industry-supported translational research projects focused on the development of novel therapies to reduce fibrosis and fatty replacement in muscular dystrophies.

The successful applicant will contribute to the preclinical development of innovative therapeutic approaches for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and limb girdle muscular dystrophies (LGMDs). The work will involve the isolation and characterisation of primary human muscle cells, including fibro-adipogenic progenitors (FAPs), establishment of cellular disease models, assessment of drug efficacy and cytotoxicity, immunofluorescence and molecular assays, and evaluation of therapeutic candidates in murine models.

The postholder will have the opportunity to participate in every stage of the translational research pipeline, from experiments using patient-derived samples through to in vivo preclinical studies. The projects are delivered in close collaboration with pharmaceutical partners, providing valuable exposure to industry-led drug development and opportunities to interact with external collaborators.

£34,630 to £46,970 per annum. See advert text for details.