University of Birmingham
Research Fellow - School of Engineering - 107860 - Grade 7
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Position Details
School of Engineering
Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK
Full-time starting salary: £36,636 to £46,049 with potential progression once in post to £48,822
Grade: 7
Contract type: Full Time, Fixed Term up to June 2028
Closing date: 17th September 2026
Background
This role is part of the philanthropically funded programme to develop a rapid, highly sensitive test for early-stage bladder cancer. The multidisciplinary project involves developing methods to increase the specificity of an optical biosensor to detect bladder-cancer-associated DNA targets. The programme brings together expertise in nucleic-acid chemistry, molecular diagnostics, photonic sensing, engineering, and bladder-cancer research.
The research fellow will lead the design, statistical optimisation, and validation of assays for clinically relevant bladder cancer targets. Their central objective will be to develop an algorithmic workflow to detect new target sequences, achieving rapid detection at femtomolar concentrations while maintaining robust separation between true-positive and negative reactions. The post-holder will work closely with research fellows across the School of Medicine, School of Chemistry, and School of Engineering to integrate the statistically optimised assay into a photonics diagnostic workflow.
Role Summary
- Lead the development and optimisation of biomolecular assays for bladder-cancer-associated DNA variants.
- Apply a range of algorithmic approaches to quantitative modelling to improve assay sensitivity, specificity, speed, and positive-negative separation.
- Design and validate assays for single-nucleotide variants and low-abundance variant alleles in a wild-type DNA background.
- Characterise analytical performance, including limit of detection, selectivity, specificity, reproducibility, time-to-detection, and false-positive behaviour.
- Translate optimised reactions from synthetic targets to urine-derived DNA.
- Collaborate with the photonic sensing and surface functionalisation teams to integrate the assay with the photonics biosensor.
- Write to publications, grant applications, intellectual-property protection, research supervision, and project reporting.
Main Duties
The responsibilities will focus on rapidly developing robust nucleic-acid amplification assays and integrating them with the transducers used by the photonics diagnostic platform. The work will include:
- Designing oligonucleotides and biomolecular reactions for bladder-cancer-associated targets, which are being identified by the medical school.
- Develop, optimise, and validate assays that provide rapid detection, very low limits of detection, and clear separation between target-positive and negative reactions.
- Use structured statistical methods to study reaction variables' dependence on oligonucleotide sequence and concentration, enzyme concentrations, buffer composition, temperature, incubation time, and other relevant factors.
- Develop and apply statistical and ML approaches to accelerate optimisation of new biomolecular assays.
- Design and evaluate sequence-selective assays for single-nucleotide variants, including detection of low variant allele fractions in mixtures containing an excess of wild-type DNA.
- Compare and analyse amplification data from fluorescence-based with label-free photonics sensor readouts.
- Quantify assay performance using appropriate metrics, including time-to-threshold, limit of detection, sensitivity, specificity, selectivity, false-positive rate, reproducibility, dynamic range, and receiver-operating-characteristic analysis.
- Investigate reaction failure modes, non-specific amplification, and matrix effects, and implement appropriate controls, contamination-prevention procedures, and troubleshooting strategies.
- Establish workflows that progress from synthetic oligonucleotides to extracted DNA, urine-derived samples, and clinically relevant materials, in accordance with ethics, biosafety, and data-governance requirements.
- Work with engineering researchers to integrate biomolecular reactions with microfluidic handling, temperature control, and the optical biosensor.
- Develop reproducible experimental protocols, data-analysis scripts, and user-facing workflows that support efficient transfer of optimised assays to new target sequences.
- Maintain accurate laboratory records, version-controlled analysis files, risk assessments, reagent inventories, and project documentation, and ensure that research data are managed in accordance with University requirements.
- Analyse and interpret research findings, identify the next most informative experiments, and adapt the research plan to address technical problems and project deadlines.
- Prepare research outputs, including manuscripts, conference presentations, technical reports, and contributions to funding applications.
- Contribute to protection and translation of intellectual property and to appropriate enterprise or knowledge-exchange activities arising from the research.
- Provide day-to-day guidance to students or research staff contributing to the project and coordinate work across the collaborating disciplines.
- Contribute to School research activities and administration, foster a fair and equitable workplace, and identify and respond appropriately to equality and diversity matters in line with University policies.
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Person Specification
Essential criteria
- A PhD awarded or near completion in biochemistry, molecular biology, chemical biology, biotechnology, nucleic-acid diagnostics, or a closely related discipline, or equivalent PhD-level research experience.
- Substantial hands-on experience in the design, development, and optimisation of nucleic-acid amplification assays, including direct practical experience with isothermal techniques.
- Demonstrable experience using statistical methods to optimise multi-parameter biochemical or nucleic-acid amplification reactions.
- Experience applying Machine Learning to optimise and guide iterative laboratory experiments.
- Experience of oligonucleotide design and of adapting an amplification method to new target sequences.
- Experience developing sequence-selective assays for single-nucleotide variants or closely related sequence-discrimination problems.
- Experience analysing amplification kinetics and evaluating assay performance, including limit of detection, sensitivity, specificity, selectivity, positive-negative separation, and false-positive behaviour.
- Strong practical molecular-biology skills, including PCR/qPCR, nucleic-acid handling and purification, restriction-enzyme methods, gel electrophoresis, and plate-reader or spectrophotometric assays.
- High-level quantitative and analytical capability, with experience using statistical and ML packages with a Python programming environment.
- Ability to troubleshoot complex biochemical assays, identify causes of non-specific amplification, and design appropriate controls.
- Ability to plan and deliver an experimental programme independently, coordinate work with collaborators, and use laboratory resources effectively.
- Ability to communicate complex scientific information clearly in written and oral form and to prepare publication-quality data and research outputs.
- Ability to work effectively within a multidisciplinary team spanning molecular science, engineering, data analysis, and clinical research.
- 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.
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Desirable criteria
- Evidence of achieving ultra-low nucleic-acid detection limits, ideally in the attomolar concentration range, while retaining a clear distinction between positive and negative reactions.
- Evidence of substantially improving the analytical sensitivity or robustness of a biomolecular assay through systematic experimental optimisation.
- Experience detecting low-frequency single-nucleotide variants in mixtures containing a large excess of wild-type DNA.
- Experience working with urine, clinical samples, wastewater, or other complex biological matrices.
- Knowledge of integrating nucleic-acid amplification with a non-fluorescent photonics detection method.
- Experience of research translation, intellectual property, a diagnostics start-up, industrial collaboration, or grant writing.
- Experience supervising undergraduate or postgraduate laboratory projects and contributing to multidisciplinary project management.
- Evidence of scientific publication, conference presentation, or successful research communication.
- Evidence of effective working and collaborating across different schools. I.e., interdisciplinary working.
Informal Enquiries
For informal enquiries, contact Robert Simpson, email: r.e.simpson.1@bham.ac.uk
Staff Values and Behaviours
View our staff values and behaviours here.
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.
Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion
We believe there is no such thing as a 'typical' member of 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 here.
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