Postdoctoral Research Associate

Overview

The Blizard Institute at Queen Mary University of London is looking for an ambitious postdoctoral researcher to join the newly established Nicholson Lab within the Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence. The lab combines patient-derived glioblastoma models, cerebral organoids and single-cell epigenomics to understand how epigenetic heterogeneity drives treatment resistance and recurrence.

The postholder will lead the experimental programme studying how heritable epigenetic subpopulations, called epi-clones, are selected during temozolomide and radiotherapy. They will set up longitudinal treatment models using patient-derived glioma-initiating cells, generate single-cell DNA methylation and transcriptomic libraries, and test therapies aimed at resistant states in cell and organoid models. As the first postdoctoral researcher in the lab, the successful candidate will have substantial intellectual ownership and the chance to shape the group's experimental platforms and direction. They will work closely with Dr James Nicholson and collaborators, analyse and interpret data, supervise students, and share findings through first-author publications and conference talks. The 42-month appointment gives unusual continuity, with time to take a body of work from model development and single-cell discovery through to therapeutic validation.

Requirements

Applicants should already hold, or shortly expect to hold, a PhD in cancer or molecular biology or a related discipline. Substantial hands-on experience in mammalian cell culture and molecular and cellular biology is essential. Experience with patient-derived cancer models, organoids or other three-dimensional cultures, drug-response assays, radiotherapy models or sequencing library preparation is desirable. Computational experience is not essential, because training in bioinformatics and single-cell analysis will be provided.

What you get

The full-time, fixed-term post pays £38,419 to £51,755 per annum. Benefits include a generous pension scheme, 30 days of leave a year pro rata for part-time and fixed-term staff, a season ticket loan scheme, development opportunities and flexible working arrangements. The Blizard Institute, founded in 2003, is one of six institutes in the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, with about 350 staff in four academic centres.

Key dates

The closing date is 22 October 2026.