

Research Assistant/Associate (Fixed Term)
Applications are invited for a full-time Postdoctoral Research Associate position in the laboratory of Dr Taufiq Rahman (https://www.phar.cam.ac.uk/research/rahman) at the Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge.
The project is an international collaborative one and multidisciplinary aiming to investigate the molecular mechanism(s) of few approved drugs that manifest potent antihypertensive effect through reducing arterial smooth muscle contractility and thus can be potentially repurposed for hypertension. We have already identified a target protein for these drugs. Therefore, the main aim for the project is to biophysically (through SPR/ITC), computationally (through MD simulation) and structurally (through solving crystal structure of the protein with drug bound) characterise the ligand-protein interaction.
The candidate should have proven experience in the design and execution of workflow for structure determination of proteins, from molecular biology/biochemical experiments (e.g. DNA cloning and mutagenesis, protein purification) through to structural data collection, processing and model building is essential. Some experience in biophysical assays such as SPR/ITC is highly desirable. Experience in running MD simulation will clearly be an added advantage but not essential. The ability to work both independently and as part of a team, coupled with excellent communication, organizational and problem-solving skills are required. Other duties/responsibilities include developing/driving research objectives, writing up work for presentation/publication purposes, and assisting in supervising undergraduate/postgraduate student research projects.
Applicants should have, or expect to obtain shortly, a PhD in structural biology Biophysics, Biochemistry or any related discipline. Successful candidates who have not been awarded their PhD by the appointment date will be appointed as a Research Assistant at Grade 5 (£32,546 - £35,116). Upon the award of the PhD the individual will be promoted to Research Associate, Grade 7 (£37,174 - £45,413).
Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available from 15th June 2025, or as soon as possible thereafter, for 12 months in the first instance with the possibility of renewal for 3 more subsequent years.
The Department holds an Athena SWAN bronze award, demonstrating a commitment to provide equal opportunities and particularly welcomes application from women, black and minority ethnic candidates. Appointment will be based on merit alone.
The online application is to include your personal details, names and addresses of referees, as well as your CV, research publications list and cover letter outlining your interest in the project.
Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.
Informal enquiries about the position can be made to Dr Taufiq Rahman (mtur2@cam.ac.uk)
For enquiries about the online application process, please contact the HR Team, hr@phar.cam.ac.uk
Please quote reference PL45787 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.
The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.
The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.
HR Co-ordinator [Temporary Cover] (Secondment) Internal Secondment Opportunity
INTERNAL SECONDMENT OPPORTUNITY: This appointment is available until May 2026 to provide temporary cover until the return of the current post-holder. Please note that this post is only available to staff who already work at the University, as this is being advertised as a secondment opportunity.
The Department of Pharmacology, part of the School of Biological Sciences, is seeking to appoint a HR Coordinator to join the Professional Services team. Reporting to the Departmental Administrator, this role coordinates a comprehensive HR and payroll support service for all staff, managing and leading on all day-to-day local HR functions, with the assistance of the HR Administrator which the post holder will line manage.
As the HR Coordinator, you will be providing clear and accurate advice to staff and managers on HR policy and employment relations issues such as staff welfare, disciplinary/grievance and terms and conditions of employment (e.g. holiday entitlement, pay scales). You will be working closely with the Departmental Administrator and will be expected to provide guidance and advice to the DA and HoD regarding University wide policies, as well as implementing this guidance into the Department. You will oversee all recruitment process, from writing job adverts and setting up interviews, all the way through to offer and onboarding new staff members. In fact, this role has oversight on the entire employee lifecycle, from induction, to training and development, all the way through to completing leaver processes.
The successful candidate will have excellent interpersonal, communication and organisational skills, and a positive, service-oriented, can-do attitude. They will be able to work both independently and in a team, with a pro-active approach to troubleshooting and problem solving. Attention to detail, a high level of accuracy and effective time management are essential. Candidates must be educated to HND/ HNC level, level 4/ 5 vocational qualification or an equivalent level of practical experience. CIPD certification is beneficial but not essential. The role requires the post holder to be confident MS Office user, especially OneDrive, Outlook, Word and Excel. Previous experience in University HR systems (CHRIS, RAS, Web Recruitment, CCWS) and well as good working knowledge of University HR policies is essential. This role has line management responsibility for the HR Administrator; line management experience is desirable but not essential.
Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.
If you have any questions about this vacancy, please contact Emma King, Departmental Administrator (da@phar.cam.ac.uk). For queries about the application process, please contact the HR team (hr@phar.cam.ac.uk).
Please quote reference PL45706 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.
The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.
The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.
Cambridge Neuroscience Administrator (Part Time, Fixed Term)
The Cambridge Neuroscience Interdisciplinary Research Centre is excited to be recruiting for a pro-active and dedicated administrator to join the team. Reporting to the Cambridge Neuroscience Strategic Manager and Directors of Cambridge Neuroscience, the post holder will be responsible for providing administrative and events support for the day-to-day aspects of running the Cambridge Neuroscience Interdisciplinary Research Centre (IRC).
Cambridge Neuroscience is an overarching University initiative concerned with bringing together a critical mass of neuroscience research expertise from across all six Schools. The virtual community includes ~900 members, of whom 295 are Principal Investigators (PIs) working in everything from biomedicine and maths to psychiatry and philosophy, and education, engineering and economics. Membership spans all six Schools of the University and over 65 Departments and Institutes, including University Institutes. For more information about Cambridge Neuroscience, please visit the website at www.neuroscience.cam.ac.uk
The role includes assisting in the organisation of meetings, workshops, festivals and conferences, as well as liaising with the members to ensure the timely delivery of documentation and that information is provided accurately and efficiently. This role has been created to support the management and planning of a series of high-profile events engaging stakeholders across research, industry and government and the role holder is expected to manage interactions with existing and potential stakeholders, understanding their needs and wishes. In addition, the role holder is expected to develop website resources, promotional materials and assist with networking and promoting relevant research opportunities information to encourage a flourishing research community. This position is currently funded for 2 years on a part-time basis, 22 hours per week. Candidates should note that there may be some working in evenings/weekends if required for events.
The ideal candidate will have previous administrative experience/following office procedures and be competent in standard software packages (in particular Word, Excel and Outlook). A confident IT user with excellent organisational skills, the candidate should also possess good time management, communication and interpersonal skills. We are looking for candidates with a "can-do" attitude, eager to learn, able to use their own initiative, especially when organising their own workload and meeting deadlines. Candidates must be educated to A Level standard or equivalent standard/NVQ level 3 or equivalent level of practical experience.
Applications close at 11:59pm on 28th April 2025. Interviews will take place on 8th May 2025.
Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 2 years in the first instance.
Applications are welcome from internal candidates who would like to apply for the role on the basis of a secondment from their current role in the University.
Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.
Further details can be found in the Further Particulars document. If you have any questions about this vacancy or the application process, please contact the HR Team (hr@phar.cam.ac.uk). Queries about the role itself may be directed to Dr Dervila Glynn (dg248@cam.ac.uk).
Please quote reference PL45711 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.
The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.
The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.
University Assistant Professor
Applications are invited for an Assistant or Associate Professor position in the Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge with effect from 1 September 2025, or as soon as possible thereafter. The Department offers excellent facilities for teaching and research, and has particular interests in cell signalling, cancer, pain, macromolecular structure and molecular therapeutics, neuropharmacology, and vascular pharmacology. We are seeking to recruit within the broad field of pharmacology, and particularly in the field of structural and molecular pharmacology or immunopharmacology.
The role holder will be based in Central Cambridge. The key duties and responsibilities will include but not be limited to: giving lectures and seminars and supervising undergraduate / postgraduate students, course development and innovation, taking an active part in examinations, carrying out innovative research and writing papers on topics relevant to the specialist subject area (this will include journals, books and other material), and obtaining research grant funding. A full description of the teaching and research activities in the Department can be found at http://www.phar.cam.ac.uk. It is also expected that the successful candidate will take an active role in engaging with the School of Biological Sciences Research Themes https://www.bio.cam.ac.uk/research/research-themes where many of our current group leaders act as Theme Leads.
The successful applicant will have a PhD in a relevant specialist subject area, as well as postdoctoral experience, and be developing a bibliography of research publications. They will keep up to date with the latest thinking in their specialist subject area by reading other academic material, attending conferences and active discussions with researchers in the field. The successful candidate will also have an interest in teaching curriculum development at a higher education institution.
Appointment will be made at Assistant Professor or Associate Professor level with a probationary period of five years, with appointment to the retiring age thereafter subject to satisfactory progress. Once an offer of employment has been accepted, the successful candidate will be required to undergo a basic disclosure, a security check, and a health assessment. Whether the outcome is satisfactory will be determined by the University.
Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.
Prospective candidates are invited to contact the Acting Head of Department, Professor Ewan St. John Smith, for informal enquires: hod@phar.cam.ac.uk.
Application deadline is 16th May 2025 (11:59pm). Interviews are expected to take place in July 2025.
Please ensure that in the "upload section" of the online application you upload your Curriculum Vitae (CV), research publications list, 2-page cover letter (on professional experience and how you will fit with the Department and wider School of Biological Sciences Research Themes, contribute to teaching, and encourage diversity and inclusion), and 2-page research proposal. If you upload any additional documents that have not been requested, we will not be able to consider these as part of your application.
If you have any questions the application process, please contact our HR team (hr@phar.cam.ac.uk).
Please quote reference PL39955 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.
The School of Biological Sciences holds an Athena SWAN bronze award, demonstrating a commitment to provide equal opportunities and to advance the representation of women in science subjects. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates irrespective of gender but, as women are currently under-represented at this level in our department, we strongly encourage applications from female candidates. The University values diversity and is committed to equality of opportunity. Appointment will be based on merit alone.
The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.
Research Associate (Fixed Term)
A creative postdoctoral researcher with experimental or computational expertise is sought to work in Mark Howarth's group on a project funded by MRC at Cambridge University Department of Pharmacology. The Howarth group have broad interests, including synthetic biology, biotechnology and entrepreneurship (www.howarthgroup.org). The project relates to engineering a protein superglue to enhance cell therapy of cancer. SpyTag is a genetically-encoded peptide created by the Howarth lab, which forms an irreversible covalent bond to its protein partner SpyCatcher. SpyTag provides a unique resource for molecular assembly and has been applied by >1,000 groups around the world for basic research and biotech, as well as reaching clinical trials. This project will devise a new generation of Tag/Catchers that are camouflaged to the immune system, so are much more potent for therapeutics. Collaborating with Imperial College London, we will apply this new protein superglue to overcome major barriers to cost-effective and potent CAR-T cell therapy against lymphoma. This technology will also be a powerful advance for antibody, gene therapy and vaccine approaches under development by the group.
Researchers with wetlab expertise will have the chance to develop computational skills and computationally-focused researchers will have the chance to develop experimental skills. The project will involve protein design and evolution, using molecular biology and biophysics along with the latest AI or machine learning tools. According to the development of the project there may be the chance to learn other methods of interest including cell biology and structure determination. We will provide all relevant training in unfamiliar methods.
Responsibilities include managing research activities, generating high quality data, and devising new project approaches. You will be expected to draft scientific manuscripts and may be involved with day-to-day supervision of Masters or PhD students. Candidates should have an enthusiastic approach to science. You will hold a PhD, or be near completion of a PhD, in biochemistry, computational biology, immunology or a related area of molecular biosciences. You will be skilled at presenting your data, verbally and in writing. You should be committed to collaborative and interdisciplinary research and be able to work both independently and as part of a research team. Substantial experience either with recombinant protein expression or computational biology is essential.
Applications are particularly welcome from women, black and minority ethnic candidates.
Candidates pending the completion of a PhD will initially be appointed at Grade 5 (£34,132 - £39,355) before moving to Grade 7 after the receipt of their PhD. Candidates that have already obtained their PhD will be appointed at Grade 7 (£37,174 - £45,413). The salary can be supplemented by contributing to Undergraduate teaching.
Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 32 months in the first instance.
Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.
Informal enquiries are welcomed to Prof Mark Howarth: mh2186@cam.ac.uk. Queries regarding the application process can be directed at the HR team: hr@phar.cam.ac.uk.
Please quote reference PL45300 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.
The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.
The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.
Departmental Administrator [Temporary Cover] Internal Secondment Opportunity
The School of Biological Sciences, a flourishing academic community that enjoys a world-class reputation for both teaching and research, has an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated and experienced administrator to join the team as Departmental Administrator at the Department of Pharmacology. The Departmental Administrator is responsible for effective and efficient delivery of all operational and administrative functions within the Department and supports the Head of the Department in achieving the Department's strategic aims and objectives in relation to governance, policy and business operations in support of teaching and research.
As an experienced manager, you will advise, manage, and motivate the Department's professional services staff, who deliver key support services in HR, finance, grants administration, teaching, buildings and facilities, health and safety, IT, internal and external communications, compliance, and other operational areas. You will also interact with both undergraduate and postgraduate students undertaking taught and research-based courses with the Department.
You will utilise your communication and interpersonal skills, not only to build effective working relationships within your team, but also to develop and maintain effective working networks within the School of the Biological Sciences and the University's central administration. Experience of strategic planning and risk management, compliance, committee management, mentoring/coaching, project management, change management, problem solving, and conflict resolution is highly desirable.
The ideal candidate will have good time management, communication, and interpersonal skills, with a strong ability to build relationships at all levels of the organisation. A proactive approach, persuasive tactfulness, and an enthusiastic attitude towards their work are qualities we deem essential for the appointed candidate.
Educated to at least degree level, the ideal applicant will be able to engage with the values and aspirations of a research-intensive Department, School and University. You will join us with the ability to handle a diverse and varied workload, with the ability to manage both projects and operational tasks concurrently. Experience in a senior administrative role within a Higher Education environment would be beneficial.
Further details can be found in the Further Particulars document.
Temporary cover: This post is fixed-term for 12 months or the return of the post holder, whichever is the earlier.
The post is offered to internal candidates only on the basis of a secondment from their current role in the University.
Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.
If you have any questions about this vacancy, please contact Emma King, (DA@Phar.cam.ac.uk). Any queries regarding the application process can be directed at the HR Team (hr@phar.cam.ac.uk).
The School of Biological Sciences holds an Athena SWAN bronze award, demonstrating a commitment to provide equal opportunities, values diversity and is committed to equality of opportunity.
The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.
Please quote reference PL45295 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.
The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.
The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.
Research Laboratory Technician
The Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, is currently looking to appoint a Research Laboratory Assistant to join the dedicated team of support staff providing general laboratory support to research groups in the department. This is a permanent part-time position for 18.25 hours per week. Due to the nature of this role, remote working is not possible, and the post holder will be required to work in the Department for the total of their working hours.
Reporting to the Facilities Manager, the successful candidate will receive full training to enter this diverse role, which covers all aspects of technical support in biological research. The post holder will provide general laboratory support to the Department and research groups, ensuring adequate supplies of glassware and consumables, safely disposing of hazardous wastes and monitoring stocks of medical gases and cryogens. The Research Laboratory Assistant will carry out routine media/equipment preparation to support the effective delivery of teaching and research. They will also assist the Stores Technician to distribute deliveries of essential research items to laboratories as well as maintaining the correct storage conditions.
Candidates must be educated to at least GCSE /NVQ level 2/equivalent level of practical experience and be able to demonstrate basic factual knowledge of working in a laboratory. Candidates must have basic IT skills as well as excellent communication and prioritisation skills as this is essential to this role. We expect the post holder to have a positive, service-oriented, flexible, can-do attitude.
Applications close on 26th February 2025 and interviews are expected to take place on 12th March 2025.
Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.
If you have any questions about this vacancy or the application process, please contact the HR Team (hr@phar.cam.ac.uk).
Please quote reference PL44888 on your application and in any correspondence about this vacancy.
The University actively supports equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from all sections of society.
The University has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.