Research Fellow in Pharmacology
Overview
The School of Biological Sciences at the University of Southampton is seeking a Research Fellow in Pharmacology for a project funded by the Human Frontier Science Program. The project investigates the evolutionary origins and diversification of sensory receptor and ion channel systems. It brings together evolutionary biology, pharmacology and organismal biology to ask how sensory systems evolved in the earliest animals, with particular attention to Transient Receptor Potential (TRP) channels from non-bilaterian animals and choanoflagellates.
The postholder will help characterise candidate sensory receptors and channels at the molecular and functional level, using molecular cloning, heterologous expression and pharmacological assays to study TRP channels that respond to chemical and physical stimuli. Tasks include generating and validating receptor and channel constructs, expressing candidate proteins in mammalian cells, developing and optimising functional assays, and running medium- to high-throughput pharmacological screens. Positive candidates are then examined with concentration-response experiments and quantitative analysis. The postholder will work closely with collaborators studying sensory-driven behaviour in tractable non-bilaterian organisms, including a partner laboratory in Villefranche-sur-Mer, France, and may travel for project meetings and sample collection.
Requirements
Applicants need a PhD, or be close to completing one, in a relevant discipline such as pharmacology, molecular biology, neuroscience, biochemistry, physiology or evolutionary biology. They should have experience in molecular biology, cloning and construct preparation and heterologous expression systems, and be confident analysing quantitative data, including concentration-response experiments, EC50 determination and statistics, preferably with R or Python. Experience with mammalian cell culture and fluorescence or luminescence assays is desired, and experience with ion channels, GPCRs, plate-reader assays, high-throughput screening, Xenopus oocyte expression or electrophysiology is advantageous. An interest in evolutionary biology is beneficial, although people trained mainly in molecular pharmacology or cell biology are strongly encouraged to apply.
What you get
The full-time post is fixed term for three years, with pay of £36,636 to £41,064 per annum. Benefits include generous holiday allowance, additional university closure days, flexible working, the Universities Superannuation Scheme pension, and subsidised health and fitness facilities.
How to apply
A job description and person specification are available, and enquiries can be made to Dr Luis Yanez-Guerra.
Key dates
The closing date is 23 October 2026.