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Victoria Hall of the UK Health Security Agency will discuss what has been learned from The SARS-CoV-2 Immunity and Reinfection Evaluation (SIREN) study, a prospective cohort study of hospital-based healthcare workers across the UK.

Enjoy a talk by Professor William Baker of Kew Gardens about the evolutionary history of palms.

We are inviting applications for a curious and motivated Postdoctoral Scientist (Research Associate) to join the de Hoz lab at the Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience. The de Hoz lab investigates systems neuroscience questions, specifically the role of cortico-subcortical loops in statistical learning. We focus on the auditory system and perform awake/asleep electrophysiology recordings (Neuropixels) and behaviour in mice, while assessing their mental state. We ask questions such as how are noisy sensory inputs recognized and represented in the brain? how are dynamic texture sounds (waterfall, fire) represented? What is the role of corticofugal projections in setting expectations? How does the auditory system integrate information over time? How does representation change with mental state (aroused, asleep, groggy)? We are a small, supportive, and dynamic group (www.dehozlab.org) made of a diversity of people united by a passion for science and the brain. The lab is now transitioning to the University of Cambridge, where this post will be held. We are looking for a person to perform the experiments and help setup the lab at PDN. This vibrant and interactive department spans systems neuroscience and plasticity questions, and is imbedded in the wider Cambridge neuroscience environment.

The key ingredient is to be passionate about the questions of the lab, to be independent, and a background in systems neuroscience. Ideally you would have experience with mouse behaviour and/or Neuropixels recordings and analysis, as well as with opto/chemogenetics. Being a pro with Python/MatLab helps.

Please refer to the further particulars document for a full list of the essential knowledge, skills and experience required for the role.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

To apply for this post, please submit a CV, a motivation letter detailing why you want to be part of this project and how this post will be a good stepping-stone for your career. We also need the contact details for two people who can provide a professional reference.

Informal enquiries about the position can be made to Livia de Hoz (ld749@cam.ac.uk and livia.dehoz@charite.de). If you feel that you don't have all necessary skills but are very interested in the research, please contact me.

Appointment at Research Associate level is dependent on having a PhD. Those who have submitted but not yet received their PhD will be appointed at Research Assistant level, which will be amended to Research Associate once the PhD has been awarded.

The funds for this post are available for 20 months, starting between October 2025 and March 2026.

The closing date for applications is 31st July 2025.

Please quote reference PM45891 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.

The Bartlett lab is searching for two Research Associates/Assistants to join our team.

The Bartlett Lab studies the developmental and evolutionary processes underpinning plant morphological diversity. We work to identify the genes that regulate plant development, describe the evolutionary histories of these genes, and connect the molecular evolution of developmental genes to the evolution of plant form. Traits we focus on include the evolution of sporophytic sex determination (see Gallagher et al, 2023; Klein et al, 2022, and Subramaniam and Bartlett, 2024), and the evolution of floral organ elaborations called awns that have diversified in form and function in the grasses (see Schrager-Lavelle et al, 2017; Patterson et al, 2023, 2024). Both floral sexuality and awns can be important in crop productivity. Thus, our work dissecting the mechanisms underpinning morphological diversification can have translational applications in agriculture.

For these positions, the successful candidates will investigate the evolution of developmental gene regulation in the grasses, especially as it relates to the evolution of development. The successful candidates will ideally have expertise in reverse and forward genetics in the grasses, especially in the model systems Zea mays (maize) or Brachypodium distachyon. We particularly welcome candidates with expertise in grass transformation and/or spatial transcriptomics in grasses. Expertise in molecular biology, genetics and plant developmental biology are required.

The successful applicants will be excellent team player's and excited about collaborations at SLCU, within the UK, and abroad. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are required, alongside the ability to work both independently and with researchers from differing scientific backgrounds. The successful applicants will have a track record of science communication (e.g. presentations, outreach activities, teaching), and will have published in the field of plant biology. The successful applicants will be expected to be fully involved in the research, including deciding on the direction of their project (with advice from Dr. Bartlett), leading publication efforts, and presenting on their work at conferences and seminars. The successful applicants may also be required to assist in the supervision of student projects in the lab.

Applicants must have or be close to obtaining a PhD in Plant Biology, Genetics, Evolutionary Biology, Molecular Biology, or related field. Where a PhD has yet to be awarded the appointment will initially be made at Research Assistant level (Grade 5) and amended to Research Associate (Grade 7) upon the award of PhD. It is critical that you include a motivational letter with your application, stating your research interests and expertise, and how they align with the advertised project.

For more information, please consult the lab website (www.bartlettlab.org), or contact Madelaine Bartlett via email at mb2705@cam.ac.uk.

The Laboratory provides a welcoming and collaborative environment with a wide-range of family-friendly benefits and development opportunities. More about the Sainsbury Laboratory and details of what the University offers to employees, can be found at: http://www.slcu.cam.ac.uk/.

The post is available from October 2025.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 2 years 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.

For questions regarding the application process, please email HR@slcu.cam.ac.uk

Please quote reference PT45886 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.

Applications are invited for a short fixed-term Post-doctoral Research Associate position in the groups of Prof. Henrik Jönsson and Elliot Meyerowitz at the Sainsbury Laboratory (SLCU), Cambridge University, to study the cytoskeleton and transcriptome of the shoot meristems and developing flowers of Arabidopsis thaliana by optical microscopy, and to develop as the highest priority methods of tissue expansion for increased resolution of cellular structures.

Our labs study meristem activities and structure, including the changes in the organization of the microtubule cytoskeleton and transcriptome that result from unresolved tissue stresses during development. For this advertised project position, we are looking for a highly motivated plant biologist with a proven ability to label and study the anisotropy, nematicity and organization of the microtubule cytoskeleton, and experience with in vitro culture of growing plant tissues.

The successful candidate must have a PhD in a relevant discipline (plant cell and developmental biology) and have recently published as first author in this field. An excellent and proven knowledge in plant cytoskeletal dynamics and plant mechanobiology is required. Also essential is previous experience in confocal fluorescence microscopy and computational analysis of the resulting images. Proficiency in standard molecular cloning is also required.

The person hired will be fully involved in the research whilst also writing up research work for presentation and publication, will assist in the supervision of student projects and deliver seminars relating to the research. Good communication skills are required.

The Laboratory provides a welcoming and collaborative environment with a wide-range of family-friendly benefits and development. More about the Sainsbury Laboratory, generic further information for the role and details of what the University offers to employees, can be found at: http://www.slcu.cam.ac.uk/.

Fixed-term: The funds for this post are available for 7 months.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Scientific enquiries apart from the formal application should be directed to henrik.jonsson@slcu.cam.ac.uk and elliot.meyerowitz@slcu.cam.ac.uk

For questions regarding the application process, please email HR@slcu.cam.ac.uk

Please quote reference PT45884 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.

The department wishes to appoint a Clinical Skills Manager and Teaching Associate from 1 September 2025, or as soon as possible thereafter.

This is an exciting opportunity to teach veterinary clinical skills and to manage a small team, ensuring the effective management of Clinical Skills teaching and facilities in the Department.

You will deliver clinical skills practical teaching, and co-ordinate the teaching of other members of the Clinical Skills team. You will also collaborate with clinicians in the Queen's Veterinary School Hospital to deliver aspects of the veterinary programme. Your teaching is currently focused on small animal clinical skills but may also include equine and farm animal skills, and you will be supported in developing new skills.

Clinical Skills Teaching includes (but is not limited to): clinical skills staff-led classes (clinical examination, suturing, anaesthesia), clinician-led clinical skills classes (e.g., cardiopulmonary resuscitation, neurology), student self-directed learning, peer-to-peer teaching initiatives, provision of additional drop-in sessions where you will work one-to-one with students, to maximize the educational potential of the clinical skills facilities and preparation of online learning material delivered through the University's virtual learning environment.

You will contribute to curriculum design, actively support the development of online teaching material for Clinical Skills and will help to devise and deliver practical assessment circuits (Objective Structured Clinical Exams or OSCEs) in partnership with academic colleagues.

You will coordinate the development of standard operating procedures, risk assessments and health and safety within the Clinical Skills area in line with Departmental policy and is assigned a small operating budget by the Teaching Operations Committee. You will also be encouraged to contribute to veterinary education conferences on behalf of the Department alongside other members of the team.

You will be required to attend on site during Full Terms of the Department of Veterinary Medicine, and other weeks outside of term for specific tasks (including examination preparation and outreach activities) throughout the year. Outside of those times, remote working, up to one day a week would be considered.

It is essential that applicants are:

Registered Veterinary Nurse or Veterinary Surgeon Have significant post-registration clinical experience and should be confident in practical skills to underpin delivery of clinical skills education to veterinary students Skilled and experience in staff management and supervision Applicants should have excellent organisational skills, the ability to organise their own time and have experience in the training of veterinary nurses or veterinary students, with the ability to address skills learning and assessment in a creative way

Experience in using and having responsibility for care and maintenance of a range of equipment commonly used in veterinary practice

Desirable qualities include:

Relevant teaching qualification (AFHEA and/or FHEA) Post graduate qualifications in medical / veterinary / clinical education or a willingness to work towards these Experience in FE and/or HE education Undergraduate teaching experience, both large and small group teaching Experience in practical assessment and OSCE examination, design and delivery. Have education sector skills to included session planning, writing schemes of work and quality assurance

Informal enquiries should be directed to Dr Hannah Wong by email hew28@cam.ac.uk

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Enquiries about the application process can be directed to hr.enquiries@vet.cam.ac.uk

Applicants should submit a CHRIS/6, CV, covering letter outlining suitability for the role and contact details for two references. Please ensure that you upload your Curriculum Vitae (CV) and a covering letter in the Upload section of the online application. If you upload any additional documents which have not been requested, we will not be able to consider these as part of your application.

For more information about the Department please visit www.vet.cam.ac.uk

Closing date for applications is 3 June 2025. Interviews will be held on 18 June 2025

Please quote reference PP45871 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.

A postdoctoral research associate position is available in the Luginbuehl group investigating the regulation of nutrient exchange during the arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis. This position is funded by the Allan and Gill Gray foundation as well as the ERC Starting Grant "Harnessing mechanisms for plant carbon delivery to symbiotic soil fungi for sustainable food production".

The arbuscular mycorrhizal symbiosis is one of the oldest and most widespread symbioses on Earth. This symbiosis provides significant nutritional benefits to plants, however, it is also associated with a substantial carbon cost, as up to 20% of photosynthesis products are allocated to mycorrhizal fungi. This project will explore the molecular mechanisms that allow plants to regulate carbon transfer to mycorrhizal fungi, and will test whether carbon allocation and thus the cost-benefit balance of the symbiosis can be manipulated by genetic engineering of host plants. The successful candidate will use single-cell transcriptomics approaches (including single-nucleus RNA and ATAC-sequencing), carbon tracing, and targeted mutagenesis in the model crop rice to address these questions.

We are looking for a highly motivated postdoctoral scientist who is collaborative and excited to work as part of an interdisciplinary and diverse team, has excellent oral and written communication skills, strong organizational and time-management skills, and is eager to develop novel ideas and approaches to investigate research questions in the field of plant-fungal symbioses.

Experience in one or several of the following areas would be an advantage: Characterization of transgenic rice plants (Single-cell) transcriptomics approaches Bioinformatics analyses of large datasets Molecular biology techniques Plant physiology techniques

Start date as soon as possible or upon agreement. The funds for this post are available for 2 years, with a possibility of further extension.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Please notice that if you have not received any news from us 1 month after the closing date you should consider that on this occasion your application has not been successful.

Please quote reference PD45877 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.

Applications are invited for an Academic Course Coordinator for the Cambridge Academy of Therapeutic Sciences (CATS).

The role of Academic Course Coordinator focuses on planning, developing, delivering and managing elements in all aspects of a course of study for the MPhil in Therapeutic Sciences (MTS) programme in order to support the pursuit of education, learning, and research at the highest international levels of excellence whilst ensuring the day-to-day operations of the program run smoothly and effectively. The Academic Course Coordinator will work closely with the MTS Director, Department of Pharmacology, Cambridge Academy of Therapeutic Sciences (CATS), Faculty of Biology, School of Biological Sciences Postgraduate Office and relevant stakeholders to oversee the academic structure, content development, and delivery of the MTS course. This role will also be responsible for creating and maintaining links with industry partners and overseeing the industrial placements, including all regulatory requirements, as required.

The successful applicant will be educated to degree level in a relevant specialist subject area. A PhD will be desirable, or significant relevant post-degree experience. Experience of managing education and/or co-ordinating training programmes in a University setting or in industry is highly desired. Furthermore, evidence of knowledge of the latest business and academic trends across therapeutic sciences and its needs and drivers in relation to education, skills and talent development is essential. The ability to explain concepts to non-experts, to develop and encourage the commitment to learn in others, and to present materials to a range of audiences will also be required, along with providing pastoral care to students, and developing positive relationships with both internal and external contacts.

The post is fixed term for 3 years.

Interviews will take place in July 2025.

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.

Informal enquiries are welcomed and should be directed to: Professor Graham Ladds¿Co-Director of Cambridge Academy of Therapeutic Sciences (grl30@cam.ac.uk).

If you have any questions the application process, please contact our HR team (hr@phar.cam.ac.uk).

Please quote reference PL45867 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.

Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Associate position in the group of Dr Erik Clark at the Department of Genetics in central Cambridge. We are looking for a talented and enthusiastic individual to join a small interdisciplinary team investigating the robust anteroposterior patterning of the early Drosophila embryo. The role will involve collecting quantitative imaging data to inform gene regulatory network models, then computationally simulating these models to explore their dynamics.

The position will involve a combination of wet-lab experiments and mathematical modelling. It would best suit an individual with an interdisciplinary background in developmental and computational biology, or a theorist who has picked up some wet-lab skills. A friendly, collaborative attitude, an ability to both teach and learn from others, and good organisational and communication skills are essential.

Experimental techniques will include Drosophila genetics, fixed embryo staining (multiplexed HCR and immunofluorescence), high-end confocal microscopy, and computational image analysis, with the potential to extend these methods to other dipteran species. Training in these techniques is available within the lab, although an existing familiarity with wet-lab developmental biology is highly desirable.

The computational modelling work will be independently driven by the candidate, with input from the PI and an external theory collaborator. Previous experience with modelling biological systems and scientific programming is essential. A background in dynamical systems is desirable.

The context of the project is the evolution of anteroposterior patterning networks across insects. Strong interests in gene regulatory networks, patterning mechanisms, insects, and evo-devo are essential.

The role will also include contributing generally to the research group by regularly presenting and discussing research, helping to train and supervise students, and working towards scientific publications.

Suitable applicants should hold a PhD in a relevant scientific discipline and display a good working knowledge of relevant techniques and an enthusiasm for the subject area. The position is fixed term for a period of 3 years in the first instance and is available from 1st October 2025.

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 role should be directed to Dr Erik Clark (ec491@cam.ac.uk)

Please quote reference PC45880 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.

Findings from a major Cambridge-led study inspired psychologists to co-produce a picture book that helps parents develop a deeper understanding of how their child is coping with the first year of school.

The Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience is seeking to appoint a self-motivated, enthusiastic person to join our friendly Human Anatomy Centre team. The facility delivers first and second year anatomy and neuroanatomy courses to an intake of around 320 pre-clinical medical students each year, and supports both research projects and external courses for a wide range of medical professionals. This is an exciting opportunity for someone looking for an interesting and varied role within a busy teaching environment.

Reporting to the Human Anatomy Centre Manager, and working closely with the University Clinical Anatomists and the organisers of preclinical anatomy and neuroanatomy, the role-holder will provide valuable support to help ensure the smooth running of the Centre. Duties will be diverse and will include providing administrative support to the anatomy Course Organisers, as well as the body donation programme in the Centre.

The successful candidate will have excellent communication skills, with the ability to deal professionally and efficiently with enquiries from students, colleagues, bereaved relatives and medical professionals, and will work well in a small and inclusive team. They will also be highly organised and have a flexible approach to work, with an ability to move between tasks at short notice to meet deadlines. Proficiency in Microsoft Office and the ability to manage databases of sensitive and confidential data is also essential. Familiarity with medical terminology would be useful, but training in the work of the Centre will be provided, and a lack of directly related experience is not a bar to applying.

The appointment is offered on a permanent, full-time basis, though we also welcome applications from individuals who wish to be considered for part-time working (minimum 25 hours per week, over five days).

For informal enquiries please contact the Department's HR team at pdnhr@pdn.cam.ac.uk who will be happy to direct your enquiry.

Apply:

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

On the online form, in the suitability for the role section, you should explain the reasons for your application and how your knowledge, skills and experience match the requirements of the role. The full contact details for two professional referees should be provided; one of whom should be your current line manager. Please note that we will assume that you are happy for us to approach your referees at any stage, unless you indicate otherwise in the space provided on the form.

Closing date: Wednesday 21 May 2025.

Interviews will be held in person on Wednesday 4 June.

Please quote reference PM45845 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.

Applications are invited for a Research Assistant/Associate position to work in the groups of Dr Felipe Karam Teixeira and Professor Richard Durbin at the Department of Genetics in central Cambridge.

The successful candidate will work on a Wellcome Trust-funded project that brings together the Karam Teixeira and Durbin groups to focus on dissecting how transposable elements shape the evolution of eukaryotic genomes. Dr Karam Teixeira's group uses Drosophila as a model to study transposable element biology, epigenetic regulation and inheritance, small RNA-based defence mechanisms, and germline biology in animals, while Prof Durbin's works on computational genomics and large scale genome science, including the development of new algorithms and statistical methods to study genome evolution. Moving forward, the labs are jointly building an interdisciplinary research team, which will combine large-scale experimental evolution studies and innovative computational methods, with the goal to uncover the breadth of transposon-derived variation and its role in functional genetic variation and genome evolution in animals.

A PhD in a biological science or computational science is essential for this role. Those who have submitted but not yet received their PhD will be appointed at Research Assistant level, updated to Postdoctoral Research Associate level once their PhD has been awarded. The salary range for Research Assistants is £32,546 - £35,116 and for Research Associates this is £37,174 - £45,413 per annum.

Suitable candidates should have previous experience of genetic analysis of large scale genome sequence data and transposable element biology. They should be able to develop and apply at scale bioinformatic tools that identify and classify transposable elements, and the variation they create. Solid experience in programming with Bash and Python is also required and previous experience of vertebrate and invertebrate genomes would be beneficial.

The ideal candidate will be an independent researcher capable of managing a variety of raw and processed genomic data (including DNA-seq, RNA-seq, small RNA-seq, Hi-C, as well as long-read sequencing - RNA and DNA - data), and work productively with wet and dry researchers in an interdisciplinary research environment.

Further information about Dr Felipe Karam Teixeira's research group can be found here https://www.gen.cam.ac.uk/research-groups/research-groups/karam-teixeira

Further information about Professor Richard Durbin's research group can be found here https://www.gen.cam.ac.uk/research-groups/research-groups/durbin

Fixed Term: The funding for this position is available for 3 years 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.

For an informal discussion about this role, please contact Dr Felipe Karam Teixeira (fk319@cam.ac.uk) or Professor Richard Durbin (rd109@cam.ac.uk)

Please quote reference PC45860 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.

Applications are invited from an enthusiastic and highly motivated researcher to join the laboratory of Prof Amanda Sferruzzi-Perri. The Sferruzzi-Perri lab (https://www.pdn.cam.ac.uk/directory/amanda-sferruzzi-perri) focuses on understanding the aetiology of pregnancy complications and the regulation of developmental processes in a broader physiological and environmental contexts. The lab employs integrative approaches combining environmental mouse models and human pregnancy samples with cutting edge molecular, cellular and physiological techniques.

The successful candidate will join a collaborative multidisciplinary team investigating how placental development and function contribute to adverse pregnancy outcomes in cases affected by hypoxia or elevated heat exposure.

Candidates should hold a PhD (or be close to completion) or a first degree in a relevant field, with a strong background in pregnancy or developmental physiology research. A proven track record of research productivity and the ability to lead diverse but complementary projects to completion is essential.

Experience in in vivo experimentation with rodents, RNA sequencing (or other high-throughput technologies), bioinformatic analysis, and the handling of large datasets is essential. Proficiency in ex vivo tissue analysis, cell and organoid culture, and gene targeting (e.g., CRISPR/Cas9) is highly desirable. Additional experience in animal husbandry, possession of a Home Office Personal Licence, and handling of human clinical samples would be advantageous.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

Applications should include a personal statement highlighting suitability to the post, detailed CV and the names and addresses of two academic referees. The position is available from September 2025 for 18 months in the first instance.

The closing date for applications is 30th May 2025.

For further details, please email Prof Sferruzzi-Perri at: ans48@cam.ac.uk.

Please quote reference PM45843 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.

On 20th May at 1pm Prof. Bob White will give a seminar entitled ‘Volcanoes: Reflections of Heaven or Hell?’ A light sandwich lunch will be provided from 12:30 in the Healey Room, Westminster College, Madingley Road Cambridge. Please be seated by 12:50 so that the seminar can start promptly.

On 3rd June at 1pm Prof. Chris Wild will give a seminar entitled ‘Applying Christian Values to a Genetic Age’. A light sandwich lunch will be provided from 12:30 in the Healey Room, Westminster College, Madingley Road Cambridge. Please be seated by 12:50 so that the seminar can start promptly.

Transdisciplinarity is about tackling the big challenges of our times that don’t sit neatly within disciplines, professions, organisations or countries. Join other students and academics from across Cambridge for a fun, think tank experience that’s all about creative, collaborative problem-solving for a better world.

On 6th May at 1pm Prof. Simeon Zahl will give a seminar entitled ‘Are Doctrines Empirically Verifiable? Theology, Theory, and the Human Sciences’. A light sandwich lunch will be provided from 12:30 in the Healey Room, Westminster College, Madingley Road Cambridge. Please be seated by 12:50 so that the seminar can start promptly.

Hidden Cambridge's latest and surely most entertaining city centre walking tour led by a Cambridge Green Badge Guide

For their Easter concert, Cambridge University Wind Orchestra team up with Big Band Roulette, a new jazz project based out of the University of Cambridge.

The GOdogs group is looking to appoint researcher to our group which studies the genetics of obesity, starting with canine genetics but with a strong programme of allied human comparative genetics and functional/molecular studies.

Whilst the focus of this recruitment drive is to find a candidate with genomics expertise, enquiries would also be welcome from molecular biologists interested in using their skills to pursue functional studies of new obesity genes (especially related to endocytosis and cell signalling).

We use GWAS and genetic approaches to identify novel genes responsible for obesity and other common conditions in pet dogs, then use comparative genomics to determine those genes also relevant to humans. Genes and variants responsible are studied in the molecular biology lab and by testing their effect on the physiology and eating behaviour of dogs. All our canine work is done with pet dogs, volunteered by their owners for study (not dedicated lab animals).

This post will be focussed on the genetics of appetite and obesity. Candidates should be of postdoctoral level with relevant experience of canine or/and human genomics, or molecular biology. Candidates without PhD but significant expertise in bioinformatics and genetics would also be considered.

For genetics-focussed candidates, subject knowledge in obesity/metabolism is welcome, but not essential. For molecular biology candidates, background knowledge relevant to understanding the molecular links between genes and obesity is more important.

We are a small group with diversity of background, interest and experience in which wider professional development and pursuit of your interests are encouraged alongside scientific rigour and excellence.

Appointment at Research Associate level is dependent on having a PhD. Those who have submitted but not yet received their PhD will be appointed at Research Assistant level, which will be amended to Research Associate once the PhD has been awarded.

Informal enquiries can be made to Dr Eleanor Raffan er311@cam.ac.uk. Candidates interested in part time or flexible working are encouraged to discuss this in advance of application.

Click the 'Apply' button below to register an account with our recruitment system (if you have not already) and apply online.

To apply for this post, please submit a CV and a covering letter detailing why you want to be part of this project and how this post will be a good stepping-stone for your career. We also need the contact details for two people who can provide a professional reference.

The closing date for applications is 26th May 2025.

Please quote reference PM45840 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.