UCL
Research Assistant in Cellular Immunotherapy
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About us
The UCL Cancer Institute is the hub for cancer research at University College London, one of the world's leading universities. The Institute draws together over 400 scientists working to translate research discoveries into kinder, more effective therapies for cancer patients. It fosters links between basic cancer researchers across biomedicine and the clinical activities of our partner hospital trusts (University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust, the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust and Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust). The Institute has greater clinical links than any comparable centre in the UK, creating a unique opportunity for significant impact on the delivery of clinical service to cancer patients. Further information about the UCL Cancer Institute can be found at https://www.ucl.ac.uk/cancer/
About the role
The post sits in the Cellular Therapy group within the Research Department of Haematology, whose major focus is the engineering of T cells for therapeutic application. The group runs an integrated discovery-to-clinic programme, taking novel chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) designs from molecular cloning through in vitro and in vivo testing and into first-in-human trials, including the FRACTALL trial of anti-CCR9 CAR-T cells in T cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (T-ALL), which is open and dosing patients.
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This post is funded by the Medical Research Council (grant 572202, anti-CCR9 CAR-T cells) and is available until 16 July 2028 in the first instance. The post is full time and available from 1 November 2026, or as soon as possible thereafter.
Applications must include a CV and a cover letter. The cover letter should be provided in the 'Why you have applied for this role' field of the application form and should evidence the essential criteria set out in the Person Specification. Interested candidates are encouraged to contact Dr Maciocia (macie@ucl.ac.uk) in advance of application.
We welcome applications from all candidates. Please note that applicants requiring Skilled Worker sponsorship should be aware that this role is not normally considered eligible for sponsorship under current UK immigration rules. Applicants who would require sponsorship to take up this role should be aware that UCL is therefore unlikely to be able to sponsor an appointment to this post.
About you
You will have a degree in immunology, molecular or cell biology, biochemistry, or a related biomedical discipline, together with practical research experience in molecular biology and mammalian cell culture. You will bring hands-on expertise in techniques such as molecular cloning, viral vector production and use, and flow cytometry, along with a strong understanding of cancer immunology and engineered T cell therapies.
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You will be a highly organised and detail-oriented scientist, able to plan, execute and troubleshoot experiments independently while maintaining accurate records and delivering high-quality, reproducible data. You will be confident analysing complex datasets, drawing clear conclusions, and communicating your findings effectively to a range of scientific and clinical colleagues.
Most importantly, you will be a collaborative team player who takes pride in delivering work to a high standard and contributing positively to a supportive research environment. You will be motivated by the opportunity to translate cutting-edge cellular immunotherapy research into treatments that have the potential to improve outcomes for patients.
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Desired Skills and Experience
The post holder will deliver the laboratory science underpinning the group's CAR-T engineering programme: generating and testing novel T cell engineering constructs designed to improve the efficacy and safety of CAR-T therapy, and producing robust, well-documented data that determine which candidates progress towards the clinic.
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