University of Birmingham
Research Fellow - Department of Cancer and Genomic Sciences - 106039 - Grade 7
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Position Details
Department of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, School of Medical Sciences, College of Medicine and Health
Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK
As this vacancy has limited funding, the maximum salary that can be offered is Grade 7, salary £36,636.
Grade: 7
Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to September 2028
Closing date: 19th October 2026
Background
A Bone Cancer Research Trust/GOSH funded Research Fellow post, starting January 2027 within the lab of Prof. Clare Davies (https://www.claredavieslab.org/) and Dr. Susanne Gatz at the Department of Cancer and Genomic Sciences, investigating oncogenic mechanisms of the arginine methylatrasnferase, PRMT5, in Ewing sarcoma focusing on the DNA damage response and splicing.
Principal methodologies include monolayer and 3D cell culture, analysis of DNA damage repair and the replication stress response by microscopy (of foci and fibers), protein biochemistry (immunoprecipitation and western blotting), drug dose response, immunohistochemistry (IHC) of tumor tissue samples, and analysis of alternative splicing analysis (RT-PCR and qPCR and RNAseq). The individual will drive their own project and be part of a collaborative and supportive team.
This project will give the postholder the opportunity to gain deeper biological insight into Ewing sarcoma, a pediatric/young adult cancer for which novel therapies are urgently needed to improve outcome. They must be willing:
- to work with mouse models of cancer
- to work flexibly and out-of-hours, when necessary, to fulfil the needs of the research project
- (and able) to keep up with and have a working knowledge of the scientific literature in the field of the project
They must be able to work and think both independently and in a research team and use their organizational skills to effectively multitask and prioritize work within the laboratory to meet deadlines.
Role Summary
- Work within specified research grants and projects and contribute to writing bids
- Operate within the area of specialism
- Analyze and interpret research findings and results
- Contribute to generating funding
- Contribute to licensing or spin-out deals with demonstrated commercial success (such as revenues, asset or company sales, IP generated) and/or public understanding of the discipline or similar
Main Duties
The responsibilities may include some but not all of the responsibilities outlined below.
- Develop research objectives and proposals for own or joint research, with assistance of a mentor if required
- Contribute to writing bids for research funding
- Analyze and interpret data
- Apply knowledge in a way that develops new intellectual understanding
- Disseminate research findings for publication, research seminars, etc.
- Supervise students on research-related work and provide guidance to PhD students where appropriate to the discipline
- Contribute to developing new models, techniques, and methods
- Undertake management/administration arising from research
- Contribute to Departmental/School research-related activities and research-related administration
- Contribute to enterprise, business development, and/or public engagement activities of manifest benefit to the College and the University, often under supervision of a project leader
- Collect research data; this may be through a variety of research methods, such as scientific experimentation, literature reviews, and research interviews
- Present research outputs, including drafting academic publications or parts thereof, for example, at seminars and as posters
- Provide guidance, as required, to support staff and any students who may be assisting with the research
- Deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines
- Foster a fair and equitable workplace for all staff
- Identify and respond to equality and diversity issues in line with relevant university policies and procedures
- Other relevant criteria from our equality and diversity duties document. https://bham.sharepoint.com/:w:/r/sites/HRDC/_layouts/15/Doc.aspx?sourcedoc=%7B7c460d71-5114-45aa-b9dd-1692b59aeea4%7D&action=default&mobileredirect=true
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- These indicative responsibilities may also be included in a research role at grade 6.
Person Specification
- A PhD relevant to the research area (or near completion), or equivalent PhD level qualifications.
- High level analytical capability
- Ability to communicate complex information clearly
- Fluency in relevant models, techniques, or methods and ability to contribute to developing new ones including:
- Mouse models of cancer (essential)
- Mammalian cell culture, including the experience of culturing challenging cell lines (e.g. Ewing sarcoma cells)
- Single molecule DNA fiber analysis
- Microscopy-based laboratory techniques (including immunofluorescence, DNA repair foci analysis, immunohistochemistry)
- Western blotting and immunoprecipitation
- Drug response assay, determination of IC50, etc.
- Analysis of big datasets (e.g. RNA-sequencing)
- Working with animals (not essential, but preferential).
- Ability to assess resource requirements and use resources effectively
- Understanding of and ability to contribute to broader management/administration processes
- Contribute to the planning and organizing of the research programme and/or specific research project
- Coordinate own work with others to avoid conflict or duplication of effort
- Knowledge of the protected characteristics and duties under the Equality Act 2010. Including fostering good relations and advancing the university's Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED).
- Other relevant criteria from our equality and diversity knowledge, skills, and experience document.
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Further particulars can be found here
Informal enquiries to Clare Davies, email: c.c.davies@bham.ac.uk
Use of AI in applications: We want to understand your genuine interest in the role and for the written elements of your application to accurately reflect your own communication style. Applications that rely too heavily on AI tools can appear generic and lack the detail we need to assess your skills and experience. Such applications will unlikely be progressed to interview.
We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of the University of Birmingham staff and that diversity in its many forms is a strength that underpins the exchange of ideas, innovation, and debate at the heart of University life. We are committed to proactively addressing the barriers experienced by some groups in our community and are proud to hold Athena SWAN, Race Equality Charter, and Disability Confident accreditations. We have an Equality Diversity and Inclusion Centre that focuses on continuously improving the University as a fair and inclusive place to work where everyone has the opportunity to succeed. We are also committed to sustainability, which is a key part of our strategy. You can find out more about our work to create a fairer university for everyone on our website https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/about/equality-diversity-inclusion.
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