Total 3 job vacancies by University of Plymouth

About the role

You will help to deliver an innovative neuro-oncology research project; developing a new preclinical in vivo model of NF2-null meningioma and investigating immunotherapies. The project involves using single-cell RNA-sequencing and murine models of NF2-null tumours, patient-derived xenograft drug screening and validation with a variety of wet-lab techniques. This role is advertised on a fixed-term basis for 2.5 years due to external funding.

The role will be ideally suited to an early-career researcher who is motivated to join a vibrant neuro-oncology research community at the University of Plymouth’s Brain Tumour Research centre of excellence.

Essential:

• Ph.D (or close to completion) in neuro-oncology, immunology or other closely related and relevant subject.
• Competence in a variety of laboratory techniques.
• Extensive knowledge of cancer cell biology and tumour-associated immune cells.
• Skill in protocol development and optimisation.

Desirable:

• Experience in animal research and/or UK Home Office PIL A/B + C (rodents).
• Experience in single-cell RNA-sequencing and/or other omics techniques.
• Bioinformatics skills.
• First-author publications and/or other demonstrable research impacts.

Our Research:

The Parkinson lab’s neuro-oncology research focus centres around NF2-null nervous system tumours; meningioma, schwannoma and ependymoma. We have access to an excellent biobank of primary tumour cells, and use genetic and xenograft murine models to drive translational preclinical research.

Recent publications:

Inhibition of YAP/TAZ-driven TEAD activity prevents growth of NF2-null schwannoma and meningioma, Brain, 2022;awac342, https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awac342

Human Endogenous Retrovirus Type K Promotes Proliferation and Confers Sensitivity to Antiretroviral Drugs in Merlin-Negative Schwannoma and Meningioma. Cancer Res 2022 Jan 15;82(2):235-247. https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-20-3857

Merlin controls the repair capacity of Schwann cells after injury by regulating Hippo/YAP activity. JCB, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.201606052

Peninsula Medical School:

Our laboratory is based in the Derriford Research Facility within the Peninsula Medical School and contains state-of-the-art facilities for delivering this project including a confocal microscopy suite and biological services unit. Our facility is supported by the Brain Tumour Research charity as a Centre of Excellence.

Please demonstrate how you meet the essential criteria outlined in the knowledge, qualifications, training and experience elements of the job description in your supporting statement.

For an informal discussion to find out more about the role then please contact Dr Liyam Laraba by email liyam.laraba@plymouth.ac.uk

Interviews are likely to take place on week commencing Monday 20 January 2025 and you will be notified if you have been shortlisted or not.

This is a full-time position working 37 hours per week on a fixed-term basis for 30 months due to funding.

The successful candidate may be required to obtain an ATAS Certificate prior to this research being undertaken.

Remote working is available up to 1 days a week.

About us

The Faculty of Health holds four Silver Athena Swan awards, which recognise our commitment to supporting gender equality within higher education.

The University of Plymouth has a strong interdisciplinary research ethos which is supported by our three strategic Research Institutes; the Marine Institute, the Sustainable Earth Institute, and the Plymouth Institute of Health and Care Research. As a member of our academic community, you’ll be expected to contribute to our recognised research strengths. Working holistically across the University, you will be challenged to innovate, collaborate and deliver impactful research contributions as part of a systems thinking approach to addressing today’s global challenges.

Application Process

Please apply online, demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria outlined in the knowledge, qualifications, training, and experience elements of the job description in your supporting statement.

Following the closing date of the vacancy, you will be notified on the outcome of your application in due course.

Our Offer

Staff appointed within the Faculty of Health may be able to join the NHS pension scheme subject to eligibility criteria.

We offer a competitive salary package, a generous pension and holiday scheme. We also offer a range of other benefits/support mechanisms, including ongoing development opportunities, flexible working, staff networks and enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption leave.

A summary of our comprehensive benefits can be viewed here.

Additional Information

The University of Plymouth is an inclusive community where everyone is welcomed regardless of their background. To find out more about our inclusive community initiatives, such as Athena Swan and the Race Equality Charter, please visit our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion webpages.

We particularly welcome applicants from under-represented communities at the University of Plymouth, such as carers/parents, people with disabilities, ethnically diverse, LGBT+, and people from all socio-economic backgrounds.

We have an exciting opportunity to be part of a definitive trial examining the effectiveness of oral nutritional supplement use in care homes.

We seek to appoint a Post Doctoral Research Fellow to join a multi-disciplinary research team for the REFRESH (nutRition intervEntions For malnouRished oldEr adultS in care homes) trial. This is a large NIHR funded randomised controlled trial examining oral nutritional supplements in care homes over four years.

The trial is a multi-university collaboration led by Professor Mary Hickson and Professor Jane Murphy of Bournemouth University. It is supported by the PenCTU and includes collaborators from the University of Exeter (statistics, health economics and community geriatric expertise), University of Coventry (dietetic expertise), University of Southampton (geriatric expertise), as well as care home managers and public representatives.

Your main tasks will be to recruit, set-up and initiate sites (care homes), maintain excellent working relationships with the care homes, manage the three field workers (to help with site initiation), develop online training for care home staff, and manage the day-to-day running of the trial. You will be supported by a Research Assistant and line managed by Professor Hickson.

Applications are invited from highly motivated individuals with a PhD or equivalent within the field of nutrition and dietetics. You will have excellent communication and organisational skills, clinical research experience with older adults, and ideally will have worked in the care home sector. You will also have an ability to work both independently and as part of a team, be able to work to tight deadlines and be comfortable and resilient working under pressure. A knowledge of training other professionals and using online educational platforms will be an advantage.

The role will be based at the University of Plymouth, recruiting in Devon & Cornwall, Wessex and the Birmingham area with an opportunity to discuss a hybrid online and in person working pattern. You will be required to travel regularly to Plymouth and/or Bournemouth for meetings, as well as visiting care homes in all the regions listed above that may not be accessible by public transport.

Based in the Faculty of Health, the School of Health Professions has something for everyone interested in health and care-related professions and is committed to shaping students into the best health professionals they can be.

InterCity Place is the first-class new home for our healthcare teaching and research providing students with skills to meet the needs of 21st century careers. The School offers a unique interdisciplinary learning environment, where students from the largest breadth of healthcare disciplines in the South West can benefit from excellent skills and research laboratories, research-informed teaching, stimulating practice placements and teaching delivered by professionally registered academic staff.

The School is proud of the commitment to student voluntary work, staff–student partnership, strong professional values and our record of student achievement and student satisfaction. State-of-the-art facilities and equipment help students maximise their potential and develop their core skills, preparing them to embark on exciting and rewarding careers. The School holds an Athena SWAN Silver award demonstrating the University’s ongoing commitment to advancing gender equality and success for all.

Please demonstrate clearly in your supporting statement how you meet the essential and any desirable criteria outlined in the job description.

For an informal online discussion about the role please contact Mary Hickson (mary.hickson@plymouth.ac.uk) or Jane Murphy (jmurphy@bournemouth.ac.uk).

This role will require an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service Check plus a Adult's Barred List check.

The successful candidate may be required to obtain an ATAS Certificate prior to this research being undertaken.

Closing date: Midnight, Sunday 10th November 2024

Interviews will be on Thursday 21st November 2024, via a zoom meeting. You will be notified if you have been shortlisted or not.

This is a full-time position working 37 hours per week on a fixed-term basis until 31st December 2028 due to funding.

We offer a competitive salary package and a generous pension and holiday scheme. We also offer a range of other benefits/support mechanisms, including ongoing development opportunities, flexible working, staff networks and enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave.

A summary of our comprehensive benefits can be viewed here.

Remote working is available up to 3 days a week.

The Faculty of Health holds four Silver Athena Swan awards, which recognise our commitment to supporting gender equality within higher education.

Staff appointed within the Faculty of Health may be able to join the NHS pension scheme subject to eligibility criteria.

The University of Plymouth is an inclusive community where everyone is welcomed regardless of their background. To find out more about our inclusive community initiatives, such as Athena Swan and the Race Equality Charter, please visit our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion webpages.

We particularly welcome applicants from under-represented communities at the University of Plymouth, such as carers/parents, people with disabilities, ethnically diverse, LGBT+, and people from all socio-economic backgrounds.

We are seeking to appoint two Lecturers and an Associate Professor in Computer Science to enhance and strengthen our research capacity in areas complementary to our existing research strengths in artificial intelligence, cyber security, game development and big data. Applicants with expertise in other areas of computer science are also encouraged to apply. You should hold a PhD in a relevant discipline, be able to demonstrate a strong track record of producing high-quality research outputs, and, ideally, provide evidence of attracting funding to support your research, particularly for posts above Lecturer level. Relevant groups within the school include the Centre for Robotics and Neural Systems, the Centre for Cyber Security, Communications and Network Research, and the Big Data group. You will take an active approach to interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary collaborations and will be able to demonstrate external collaborations with the potential for generating impact.

You will be expected to contribute to teaching across our suite of undergraduate and postgraduate computer science programmes and will have experience of providing high quality teaching at these levels. You may be required to take part in internationalisation activities (including overseas delivery opportunities) and other widening participation activities. You will also have the opportunity to contribute to the running of the School where appropriate.

This is an exciting time to join the School of Engineering, Computing and Mathematics (SECaM) as the £63 million Babbage Building creates the state-of-the-art space for inspiring research and teaching, and enables multidisciplinary collaborations within and beyond the School. SECaM is a welcoming and inspiring place to work and study. SECaM is part of the Faculty of Science and Engineering and includes the subject areas of civil and coastal engineering, computer science, electrical and electronic engineering and robotics, mathematical science, mechanical, marine and materials engineering and navigation and maritime science. We are a collaborative and interdisciplinary community of world-leading academics and researchers focused on the advancement of knowledge and the creation of innovative solutions that have a positive impact on society. We have an extensive portfolio of research from offshore renewable energy, coastal engineering and robotics to cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and data science. With many internationally recognised experts, our teaching staff are passionate about providing an innovative and inspiring learning experience.

The School holds an Athena Swan Bronze award demonstrating the University’s ongoing commitment to advancing gender equality and success for all, and is an official Signatory of the Tomorrow's Engineers Code, a framework for organisations with a mission to increase the diversity and number of young people entering engineering careers. Women and members of other currently underrepresented groups are particularly encouraged to apply.

Please demonstrate how you meet the essential criteria outlined in the knowledge, qualifications, training and experience elements of the job description in your supporting statement.

Please indicate the level of role to which you are applying and tailor your application accordingly. Please note, however, that the University reserves the right to make an offer of appointment within the range advertised, aligned with Plymouth's Academic Career Pathways, according to your knowledge, experience and skills in relation to the key accountabilities.

Informal enquiries may be made with Professor Alex Belton (alexander.belton@plymouth.ac.uk) or Dr Yinghui Wei (yinghui.wei@plymouth.ac.uk).

Please note that this position may be subject to ATAS clearance if you require visa sponsorship.

These are full-time positions working 37 hours per week on a permanent basis.

Flexible working options including job share will be considered.

Closing Date: 12 Midnight, Monday 27th May 2024

Interviews are likely to take place week commencing Monday 17th June 2024 and you will be notified if you have been shortlisted or not.

We offer a competitive salary package and a generous pension and holiday scheme. We also offer a range of other benefits, including ongoing development opportunities. A summary of our comprehensive benefits can be viewed here.

A relocation package may be available to the successful candidates, conditions apply.

The University of Plymouth has a strong interdisciplinary research ethos which is supported by our three strategic Research Institutes; the Marine Institute, the Sustainable Earth Institute, and the Plymouth Institute of Health and Care Research. As a member of our academic community, you’ll be expected to contribute to our recognised research strengths. Working holistically across the University, you will be challenged to innovate, collaborate and deliver impactful research contributions as part of a systems thinking approach to addressing today’s global challenges.

The University of Plymouth is a diverse, welcoming community where everyone makes a difference and is encouraged to bring their whole selves to work. To find out more about our inclusive community, initiatives such as Athena Swan and the Race Equality Charter and our range of benefits / support mechanisms such as flexible working, staff networks and enhanced maternity, paternity & adoption leave please visit our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion webpages

We particularly welcome applicants from under-represented groups such as BAME/BIPOC and LGBT+.