BSI jobs board

Job summary
At the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) the mission is to provide health security for the nation by protecting from infectious disease and external hazards. They are a trusted source of advice to government and to the public, focusing on reducing inequalities in the way different communities experience and are impacted by infectious disease, environmental hazards, and other threats to health.

The Emerging Pathogen Serology group sits within the Vaccine Development, Evaluation, and preparedness Centre (VDEC) Division of UKHSA Porton. The group was established to function as a high throughput SARS CoV-2 serosurveillance service during the COVID-19 pandemic, where it supported more than 60 different research projects, clinical trials and serosurveillance studies, resulting in over 50 publications. Since its inception, the lab has performed ~1.3 million serology tests, with expansion into different emerging pathogens to support and respond to the recent incidents such as Lassa Fever, Mpox, and H5N1. Much of their work now focusses on immunological assay development, understanding immune responses (humoral/cellular) to emerging pathogens, population-level serosurveillance, and informing vaccine and therapeutic design/policy.

The group is now recruiting a permanent post-doctoral research associate (senior research scientist) based at UKHSA Porton Down. This role would suit a candidate with diverse experience in serology/immunology assay research and development for infectious diseases.

Job description
The job holder will be required to carry out the following responsibilities, activities and duties:

• Lead on external and internally funded laboratory research, along with the development of independent research projects
• Perform serology testing for internal/external research projects, clinical trials or serosurveillance using a multitude of serology methods and platforms such as the Roche e801, MSD and Luminex systems
• Lead on the development of new assays for emerging pathogens, with validation and implementation for routine use within the laboratory
• Train junior members of staff in diverse research and diagnostic techniques
• Support research that informs vaccine development, evaluation of vaccines and preparedness for emerging pathogens.
• Perform a range of standard methods/assays/techniques in support of all activities associated with project(s), to ensure project deliverables are met on time and within budget
• Support in external (e.g., UKRI) and internal funding applications to explore and undertake new areas of research around emerging pathogen immunology/serology
• Build national and international collaborations with external partners in support of the laboratory through attendance at scientific conferences and workshops.
• Liaise with external/internal collaborators about data, reports, and publications
• Lead on scientific writing, e.g., manuscripts, internal reports, and policy documents
• Line manage other junior members of the group and to support them with their research and project work

Essential person spec

• Degree or equivalent in biological sciences or related
• Post-graduate degree (e.g., PhD or DPhil) in immunology, microbiology or related
• >2 years research laboratory experience within immunology/microbiology research working at post-doctoral level.
• Prior experience in scientific writing e.g., publications, reports, conference presentations, and ethics or grant applications
• Regularly keep up to date with scientific literature where applicable
• Evidence of prior and ongoing publication record (including preprints)
• Able to apply own knowledge and quickly synthesise from scientific literature in high-pressure and time-sensitive situations e.g., incident responses to new/emerging pathogens.
• Prior experience of line management and leading of junior scientists within a large team
• Developing collaborations with internal/external partners

University of Southampton are looking to appoint a highly motivated, full time Research Fellow in Translational Immunology to support STRAVINSKY, a landmark multi-centre UK study commissioned by the UK Department of Health and Social Care. This trial aims to understand whether antibody testing can be used to define the risk of severe COVID-19 in immunosuppressed individuals. It also presents a highly unique opportunity to study and understand antibody and cellular immune responses to vaccination across diverse disease groups. The results from this study will directly inform national policy and may generate multiple novel immunological observations.

Your role will be to undertake computational analysis of single-cell RNA sequencing data to generate new hypothesis for validation. You may also have to support the study technician in sample processing and analysis (cell separation, T-cell ELISpot). It is highly likely that the successful applicant will have rapid opportunities to co-author publications from this study. 

The post holder must have a PhD or be close to completion of a PhD in systems immunology or a related field, and be able to work independently and collaboratively. Applications for Research Fellow positions will be considered from candidates who are working towards or nearing completion of a relevant PhD qualification.  The title of Research Fellow will be applied upon successful completion of the PhD. Prior to the qualification being awarded the title of Senior Research Assistant will be given. The post holder will be primarily based in the Centre for Cancer Immunology at the University Hospital Southampton. The appointment is full time until 31st May 2025, assuming performance is satisfactory in the first year.

Nottingham Trent University are seeking to appoint a committed and passionate academic with a clear vision and excellent interpersonal skills, as the new Associate Professor of Cancer Genomics or Cancer Immunology in the John van Geest Cancer Research Centre (JvGCRC). You will develop, lead and inspire research, scholarship and/or practice activity which enhances the profile of JvGCRC and drives our mission to turn discovery into health by accelerating the translation of basic science towards patient tailored therapies. You will undertake personal research in an area relevant to the Centre and be appointable at Professorial level.

In 2008, the John and Lucille van Geest Foundation in an act of remarkable generosity endowed Nottingham Trent University with a research grant of £8 million to establish a dedicated cancer research facility. Investigators in the John van Geest Cancer Research Centre (JvGCRC) work in an area of great societal need. Your aim is to turn discovery into health by accelerating the translation of basic science discoveries into benefit for patients. Your ambitions revolve around three common priorities:

• Unravelling cancer’s molecular complexity and heterogeneity by harnessing the power of new technologies and the potential of data science.
• Deciphering the structure and function of the tumour microenvironment and how it influences cancer initiation, progression and therapeutic response.
• Turning discovery into health by identifying immune biomarkers of therapeutic success and failure.

The JvGCRC is prioritising initiatives in personalised cancer medicine across all research programmes, including ‘omics’ approaches (spatial transcriptomics, proteomics, spectral flow cytometry), computational biology/big data analytics, and interfaces with clinical activities through national and international collaborators. They are also investing in activities that promote commercialisation of cutting-edge technologies and improve research quality and outcomes.

Job Summary

In this Research Associate post you will work on an exciting new research project investigating how ‘allergic’ type 2/IgE responses in the skin links to the peripheral nervous system and dictates behaviour. This is part of a larger research programme in the Strid Lab which focus on skin immune-surveillance.

The skin has an active tissue-specific local immune system and is the largest and most innervated organ in our body. You will be exploring links between the skin immune system and the peripheral nervous system, for the control of sensory signals affecting nociception. You will be focussed on the physiological role of type 2 immunity and exploring how allergic sensitisation in the skin may drive avoidance behaviour.

Duties and responsibilities

You should take initiative for the planning and execution of your research, including to identify and develop suitable techniques and analysis. You should ensure the validity and reliability of your data at all times, including good record-keeping. You should be willing and able to work both independently and as part of a team with a common goal. You should be prepared and capable of communicating your work, including in written reports and papers. Collegiality and maintaining a harmonious work environment are paramount.

Essential requirements

• You should hold a PhD in Immunology or a related field.
• Previous experience with tissue immunology and in vivo models as well as technical knowhow in FACS, imaging and transcriptomic analysis would be advantageous.
• Experience of dealing with [specific groups of people, e.g., sponsors, patients]
• Ability to conduct a detailed review of recent literature
• Ability to develop and apply new concepts
• Ability to prioritise own work in response to deadlines
• Ability to organise own work with minimal supervision
• Excellent verbal communication skills and the ability to deal with a wide range of people

The Biozentrum of the University of Basel in Switzerland invites applications for a professorship in Infection and Immunity at the tenure-track assistant or tenured associate level.

Your position
This professorship will complement and enhance the research portfolio of the Biozentrum and the NCCR "AntiResist", as well as the broader Basel Life Sciences Community, and will contribute to teaching at the undergraduate andgraduate level.

Your profile
They are interested in candidates with expertise in the field of Infection and Immunity, including (but not limited to) areas such as host-pathogen interaction, inflammation & immune response, bacterial growth, virulence or response to anti-microbials. They will consider candidates studying animal or human models at the molecular, cellular, tissue or organ/organoid level.

What they offer you
They offer a very generous research endowment, including support for students, postdocs, technicians and consumables. The Biozentrum is situated in a brandnew building with state-of-the-art core facilities. 30 research groups and 250 postdoctoral fellows and graduate students from more than 50 countries work in fields ranging from structural, computational, cellular and developmental biology to microbiology and neuroscience. The NCCR "AntiResist" comprises a network of academic institutions and collaborating companies in Basel, Zurich and
Lausanne consisting of 29 research groups spanning five major disciplines: clinical medicine, engineering, biology, chemistry, and computational biology. The research environment of the Biozentrum and the NCCR "AntiResist" is a stimulating and vibrant environment offering unique opportunities for a wide range of collaborations across disciplines and with other departments. Basel is the home of a vibrant international life sciences community and provides a high standard of living and a superb cultural and cosmopolitan atmosphere.

Application / Contact
Applications (including CV, a list of publications, a letter of motivation, and a twopage summary of past, present and future research) should be addressed to Prof. Dr. Marcel Mayor, Dean of the Faculty of Science and submitted online as one single PDF via https://biped2.biozentrum.unibas.ch/apply/inf-imm-2023.
During online submission applicants are asked to request three referees to submit confidential letters of reference.
Requests for further information may be addressed to Prof. Dr. Alex Schier (alex.schier@unibas.ch) regarding the Biozentrum of University of Basel and Prof. Dr. Christoph Dehio (christoph.dehio@unibas.ch) regarding NCCR "AntiResist". If your question is about the online application process, please contact the Office of the Dean (dekanat-philnat@unibas.ch).

The BSI internship scheme offers three-month internships to graduates interested in exploring the career possibilities available within learned societies. The internship will allow you to learn more about the activities that the Society undertakes, with a particular focus on our public engagement work.  This internship scheme is open to candidates who are BBSRC-funded PhD students looking to undertake a ‘Professional Internship for PhD students (PIPS)’ as part of their Doctoral Training Programme within the life sciences. 

We are looking for graduates with good organisational skills who are willing to undertake a range of diverse tasks. During the three months of the internship you will be engaged in primarily helping the British Society for Immunology to drive forward our public engagement work, particularly around vaccines.  The exact project undertaken during the internship will depend on the individual candidate but will involve working with the BSI team to:

• Carry out a public engagement project with the help of staff, on a topic to be decided. This will require being able to translate complex immunology to be easily understood by a public audience.  The output of this project will be disseminated, as appropriate, to the public and BSI members, as well as leading partners and external organisations.
• Assist with additional activities that contribute to the overall running of the BSI. This could include activities such as supporting our in-house journal teams with their commissioning and marketing work, contributing to the BSI's wider communications and partnership work.