28 Postdoctoral Fellowship at King’s College London, United Kingdom

Postdoctoral Position in Developmental Neuroscience at the Pellegrini Lab, Centre for Developmental Neurobiology  We are seeking a highly motivated and talented postdoctoral researcher to join the Pellegrini Lab at the Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, to work on an exciting project aimed at generating cerebral and choroid plexus organoids and characterising their regenerative capacity, as well as validating and comparing the findings with in vivo human samples of choroid plexus already collected. The successful candidate should have a PhD in Neuroscience, or a related subject, or be about to obtain one, and have a strong background in developmental neuroscience and imaging techniques. Experience with time-lapse imaging, single-cell RNA sequencing or human cell/tissue culture are all desirable. The Pellegrini Lab is a collaborative research group that focuses on understanding the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying brain development and in particular the role of choroid plexus and cerebrospinal fluid in development and disease. The Centre for Developmental Neurobiology is a leading research centre located in the heart of London, dedicated to studying the development and function of the nervous system.

The Department of Informatics is seeking to appoint a postdoctoral research associate with an excellent track record in data-centric, responsible AI. Data is just as important as the algorithm in AI, determining the best possible performance an AI system could achieve. This role will carry out research in data-centric AI, with a focus on applying the latest machine learning techniques to improve how people across professional roles create, share, and access data. This includes data ecosystems where a range of stakeholders engage with machine-learning datasets. We seek candidates with practical experience in machine learning and ML ops, ideally with a good understanding of responsible AI to document datasets, enrich them to make them interoperable and easier to discover and reuse, and understand and alleviate their biases and other limitations. The successful candidate will join the Distributed AI (DAI) group in the Department of Informatics, King’s College London. They will work closely with Prof Elena Simperl and a team of 15 researchers and PhD students in the area of AI. The role covers research in the areas mentioned above, as well as the production of scientific publications and application showcases to drive research impact, and contributions to research grants to ensure continuity of research.

Applicants are invited to apply for a postdoctoral Research Associate role in the group of Dr Evgeny Kozik at King’s College London to work on development of diagrammatic Monte Carlo techniques for understanding and controlling mechanisms of unconventional superconductivity with a start date from 1st October 2023. Applicants are expected to have a PhD (or be awaiting its award) in the area of Theoretical/Computational Physics and a strong expertise in precision numerical methods for correlated electrons, their implementation and application. Experience with diagrammatic Monte Carlo approaches and studies of superconductivity or closely related problems is desired. The successful applicant will be part of a collaboration with the experiment group led by Dr Clifford Hicks (Birmingham) and the theory group of Prof Joseph Betouras (Loughborough). Within King’s, the candidate will be part of the Theory & Simulation of Condensed Matter Group at the department of Physics, which belongs to the Faculty of Natural, Mathematical & Engineering Sciences (NMES). Supporting our staff is important to us and we offer a range of provision including flexible working, caring support, and training opportunities. Our staff come from over 45 countries and around 56% of our students are from outside the UK.

We are seeking two highly-motivated postdoctoral research scientists to investigate whether it is possible to reverse hearing loss due to different types of pathology, and if so, to determine the limits of the critical period for intervention. Mice with primary defects affecting different inner ear structures, including synapses and hair cells, will be used to activate expression of key genes after hearing loss has occurred. Structural and electrophysiological assays will be used to track changes in hearing function. The ideal candidates will have experience in either mouse genetics or auditory research or (for one post) lipid processing by peroxisomes. The positions are funded by a Wellcome Trust Investigator Award and the Royal National Institute for Deaf People. One post is available until August 2025, the other until March 2026. The people appointed will report to Professor Karen P Steel at the Wolfson Centre for Age-Related Diseases, Guy’s Campus, near London Bridge.

This is an exciting opportunity for an enthusiastic, motivated individual with a track record in dementia research, palliative care or social care research (or a related area), and interest in ‘big data’, to join a post-doctoral training programme hosted by the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) South London.  We are looking for an individual with the ambition and potential to become a leader in applied dementia research from across the health and social care disciplines. You will join a thriving cohort, under the support and mentorship of leading researchers in applied research. The post-holder will undertake cutting-edge research using routinely collected data resources (‘big data’) to understand patterns of care before death for people living with dementia. Questions of interest include the relationship between personal characteristics (including socioeconomic position, ethnicity, migration, area of residence) and care (including hospital transitions, place of care [care home, home], place of death and health and wider care costs). This work builds on current NIHR and Alzheimer’s Society funded research. 

The Music Department at King’s College London invites applications for a 3-year position as a Postdoctoral Research Associate (PDRA) to work with Professor Emma Dillon and two further PDRAs on the project Musical Lives: Towards an Historical Anthropology of French Song, 1100-1300 [MUSLIVE] (a UKRI Frontier Research Grant, previously ERC). For this post we seek a candidate with background in musicology, literary studies or related fields. The candidate should have experience working with medieval French songs and/or texts. (Please refer to the other vacancies for the backgrounds sought for the two further PDRA positions.) MUSLIVE develops a new methodology for the study of medieval song and poetry within the framework of historical anthropology, drawing practices of historians, musicologists and literary scholars into closer dialogue to better understand how peoples’ lives were shaped by their music. The project centres around a corpus of songs and poetry from the medieval French repertory of trouvère song, c. 1100-1300, and a selection from contemporary traditions including, but not limited to, Arabic and/or Hebrew poetry, as well as an archival investigation of the people associated with these traditions (performers, makers, listeners, archivists). A team of three PDRAs from diverse disciplinary backgrounds will work with Professor Dillon to build two substantial knowledge-bases dealing with, respectively, songs/poems and people. The evidence generated will be the basis of on-going critical assessment by the team, on occasion working also with musicians, to develop new approaches to song and poetry as it pertains to three core concepts of ‘identity’ (coupling musical evidence with a prosopography-orientated study of makers and performers), ‘itinerary’ (relocating French song in a transnational context, particularly in a Mediterranean context, with focus on points of juxtaposition or intersection with other song traditions) and ‘sonic networks’ (examining processes of adaptation and intertextual networking in musical/poetic practice in the context of social networks stretching from Western Europe to the eastern Mediterranean). The research outcomes will include collaborative and single-author publications, performances, and accessible data relating to songs and people.

The Policy Institute at King’s College London works to solve society’s challenges with evidence and expertise. We combine the rigour of academia with the agility of a consultancy and the connectedness of a think tank. The successful applicant will work on high-profile and influential policy research and analysis projects. The Research Fellow will support the Policy Institute’s work, with a particular focus on a major study we are leading – the World Values Survey in the UK (WVS), funded by the ESRC, Cabinet Office, Barrow Cadbury Trust and the British Academy. The overall study includes the collection of new survey data in Britain as well as a programme of analysis, policy and media engagement focused on values polarisation in Britain. The study has been running since February 2020, and significant analysis has been conducted, and runs until the academic conference in April 2024. We are looking to recruit a quantitative researcher and analyst who is knowledgeable in values and attitudes measurement and theories/concepts on polarisation to collaborate closely with the PI (Prof. Bobby Duffy) and Co-I (Dr. Kirstie Hewlett) and working with a quantitative Research Assistant on analysing and interpreting the data, and to contribute to outputs, including policy reports and academic journal articles.  The Research Fellow will be required to independently produce descriptive analyses using time series data (both World Values Survey and European Values Study), test different conceptualisations of polarisation through statistical models and segmentations based on the underlying values and moral profiles of individuals in Britain. We would expect the postholder to be able to deliver: within and cross-country comparisons; descriptive analyses of time series trends, combining several modes; regression and other multivariate techniques; synthetic cohort analysis and APC modelling; and segmentations using latent class analysis and other techniques. 

We are seeking a highly motivated postdoctoral researcher to undertake computational genetics research as part of the Genomics England Clinical Interpretation Partnership (www.genomicsengland.co.uk/research/academic). The 100,000 genomes project has been the forerunner of the use of whole genome sequencing for individual care of rare disease and cancer patients, now established as part of the NHS Genome Medicine Service. Unfortunately, limitations to our ability to interpret genomes mean that currently less than 50% of rare disease patients receive a genomic diagnosis. However, the ability to analysis these whole genomes alongside de-identified clinical data in a secure environment allows both individual and systematic investigations improve this diagnostic rate.This role represents a unique opportunity to work in the Genomics England research environment to help facilitate algorithm innovation to aid interpretation from across the research community. One way to assess the effectiveness of new algorithms is through blind test evaluation. This approach has been famously used in the biannual CASP competitions from 1994 to drive innovation and improvement. It was recognised as an important factor in the breakthrough AlphaFold AI solution to the protein folding problem, by Deepmind in 2020. 

The Music Department at King’s College London invites applications as a Postdoctoral Research Associate (PDRA) to work with Professor Emma Dillon and two other PDRAs on the project Musical Lives: Towards an Historical Anthropology of French Song, 1100-1300 [MUSLIVE] (a UKRI Frontier Research Grant, previously ERC). For this post we seek a candidate with background in literary studies, including comparative literary studies, or related fields. The candidate should have experience working with medieval Arabic and/or Hebrew literature. (Please refer to the other vacancies for the backgrounds sought for the two further PDRA positions.) MUSLIVE develops a new methodology for the study of medieval song and poetry within the framework of historical anthropology, drawing practices of historians, musicologists and literary scholars into closer dialogue to better understand how peoples’ lives were shaped by their music. The project centres around a corpus of songs and poetry from the medieval French repertory of trouvère song, c. 1100-1300, and a selection from contemporary traditions including, but not limited to, Arabic and/or Hebrew poetry, as well as an archival investigation of the people associated with these traditions (performers, makers, listeners, archivists). A team of three PDRAs from diverse disciplinary backgrounds will work with Professor Dillon to build two substantial knowledge-bases dealing with, respectively, songs/poems and people. The evidence generated will be the basis of on-going critical assessment by the team, on occasion working also with musicians, to develop new approaches to song and poetry as it pertains to three core concepts of ‘identity’ (coupling musical evidence with a prosopography-orientated study of makers and performers), ‘itinerary’ (relocating French song in a transnational context, particularly in a Mediterranean context, with focus on points of juxtaposition or intersection with other song traditions) and ‘sonic networks’ (examining processes of adaptation and intertextual networking in musical/poetic practice in the context of social networks stretching from Western Europe to the eastern Mediterranean). The research outcomes will include collaborative and single-author publications, performances, and accessible data relating to songs and people.

Researchers are invited to apply for a position of research associate in optical wireless systems at the Department of Engineering, King’s College London. The role offers an exciting opportunity to undertake internationally-leading research in the field of Optical Wireless Communication as part of the 6m EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council) Terabit Bidirectional Multi-user Optical Wireless System (TOWS) for 6G LiFi.  This project aims to use new concepts in cellular optical communications to demonstrate indoor Terabit/s multiuser wireless systems that offer capacities at least two orders of magnitude higher than the current planned optical and radio wireless systems for 5G, with a roadmap to wireless systems that can offer up to four orders of magnitude higher capacity.  The research team has pioneered the development of optical wireless systems (OW) over the past 20 years, where a number of world-first contributions to optical wireless were made leading to data rates that increased as a result from few Mbit/s to multi Gbit/s with full mobility. The research team is supported by facilities including a multi-million pound investment in test-beds for optical communication networks and internet-of-things networks. 

Researchers are invited to apply for a position of Research Associate in optical wireless networks at the Department of Engineering, King’s College London. The role offers an exciting opportunity to undertake internationally-leading research in the field of Optical Wireless Communication as part of the 6m EPSRC (Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council) Terabit Bidirectional Multi-user Optical Wireless System (TOWS) for 6G LiFi. This project aims to use new concepts in cellular optical communications to demonstrate indoor Terabit/s multiuser wireless systems that offer capacities at least two orders of magnitude higher than the current planned optical and radio wireless systems for 5G, with a roadmap to wireless systems that can offer up to four orders of magnitude higher capacity. The research team has pioneered the development of optical wireless systems (OW) over the past 20 years, where a number of world-first ontributions to optical wireless were made leading to data rates that increased as a result from few Mbit/s to multi Gbit/s with full mobility. The research team is supported by facilities including a multi-million pound investment in test-beds for optical communication networks and internet-of-things networks. 

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Rare Disease and Neurodevelopmental Disorders lab lead by Dr Cristina Dias within the Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, School of Basic and Biomedical Sciences. A post-doctoral position is now available to investigate neurodevelopmental disorders caused by mutations in regulators of chromatin structure and function. The RDND lab works translationally, from gene function to mechanisms of development and disease. Building upon previous work in the lab, this GOSH Charity funded position will specifically address the role of mutations in human brain development using cutting edge in vitro tools. The post-holder will lead experimentation and analysis of in vitro models and apply high throughput methods such as scRNA-seq to decipher mechanisms of mutation in early human brain development. In collaboration with the lab of Dr Katie Long, they will models of disease in developing human. Candidates must have a PhD (or close to completion) in a relevant subject area such as (neuro)developmental biology, experimental neuroscience, epigenetics. Previous experience with stem cell modelling and basic computational skills are desirable.

The Department of Informatics is looking to appoint a human-computer interaction researcher. This is a 2-year post-doctoral research post. The successful candidate will contribute to the EPSRC project ‘Content Accessibility (CA11y): Highly Individualised Digital Content for Supporting Diverse Needs’. CA11y is a collaborative project between the Department of Informatics at King’s College London and the Department of Language and Communication Science at City, University of London. It is led by PI Dr Timothy Neate (King’s) and Co-I Dr Madeline Cruice (City). Partners and collaborators involve charities (Dyscover, Aphasia Re-Connect), BBC Research and Development and several academic institutions. See tdjneate.github.io/CA11y for more.   

(18) Postdoctoral Fellowship Position

Postdoc Fellowship Position summary/title: Research Associate in Experimental Optical Wireless Systems

Deadline :31 July 2023.

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We are looking to appoint a Post-Doctoral Research Associate as part of a Faraday Institution funded project on battery fire modelling, specifically focusing on thermal runaway and cell-to-cell propagation of flaming combustion. The role-holder will be part of a larger team on the SAFEBATT Project, major grant of the faraday institution, being led by UCL.  At King’s, you will be joining a department with new laboratory facilities.  The post is available for an immediate start and is funded initially until 31st March 2025, with a possibly of extension. The research in this project at King’s will develop a full model that integrates a thermal electrical coupled battery model, a chemical kinetics model and a flame dynamics model  to provide a tool that can be used to predict battery fire propagation and flame properties as well as heat transfer feedback to predict cell-to-cell propagation.

We are seeking a high-quality Grade 6, Post-doctoral Research Associate to contribute to the research undertaken by the Gautel group.  The Gautel group, which sits within the Randall Centre for Cell & Molecular Biophysics Department at King’s, is committed to elucidating the mechanisms that organise sarcomeres and exploring the pathological implications of mutations in sarcomere proteins such as Titin. Further details may be found here Gautel Group  This post will provide bioinformatic support for the “Sarcomere Proteostasis in Titinopathies” project funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC). Therefore the postholder will need to hold computational experience in addition to competency on the implications of common and pathogenic variants for large sarcomeric proteins. The role may also involve liaising with medical professionals upon investigation of new disease-linked genetic variants, disseminating the research effectively and contributing to further research funding.

Applications are invited for a postdoctoral research associate to be based in the Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience and the Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics at King’s College London. The post is funded by the UK Medical Research Council for 3 years and will investigate the role of defective endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-mitochondria signaling in dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ER-mitochondria signaling and its role in dementia/ALS are highly topical areas of research and the grant holders have made major contributions to these fields. The successful applicant will join a multi-disciplinary group that seeks to understand the mechanisms by which ER-mitochondria signaling is perturbed in dementia/ALS and how correcting damaged ER-mitochondria signaling might be therapeutic for these major diseases. The post will focus on gaining atomic level structural information on ER-mitochondria tethers using Cryo-Electron Microscopy (Cryo-EM) methods. Experience in structural biology methods and especially Cryo-EM, and protein purification methods will be valuable. The successful applicant will have access to state-of-the-art facilities in both King’s College, the King’s College Dementia Research Institute and the Crick Institute.

Applications are invited for a postdoctoral research associate to be based in the Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience and the Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics at King’s College London. The post is funded by the UK Medical Research Council for 3 years and will investigate the role of defective endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-mitochondria signaling in dementia and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ER-mitochondria signaling and its role in dementia/ALS are highly topical areas of research and the grant holders have made major contributions to these fields. The successful applicant will join a multi-disciplinary group that seeks to understand the mechanisms by which ER-mitochondria signaling is perturbed in dementia/ALS and how correcting damaged ER-mitochondria signaling might be therapeutic for these major diseases. The post will focus on how phosphorylation affects ER-mitochondria tethering and signaling, and how disruption to ER-mitochondria signaling affects key neuronal functions in dementia/ALS. Experience in cell and molecular biology approaches including advanced light microscopy, experimental manipulation of neurons and working with transgenic mouse models would be advantageous. Knowledge of defective signaling processes in dementia and related disorders will also be useful. The successful applicant will join an established research group and will have access to state-of-the-art facilities in both King’s College and the King’s College Dementia Research Institute. For further information on our work see  https://kclpure.kcl.ac.uk/en/persons/christopher-miller

Applications are invited for a post-doctoral researcher to work in the laboratory of Professor Peter Zammit at King’s College London, based in the Randall Centre for Cell and Molecular Biophysics within the Faculty of Life Science & Medicine. Muscular dystrophies are a group of disorders characterized by progressive skeletal muscle weakness and wasting. Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is the third most common inherited myopathy. We have identified several pathways that are deregulated in FSHD to cause inefficient muscle repair, and are currently investigating pathomechanisms and biomarkers of the disease using cell/molecular and redox biological, ‘omics’-based and in silico methodology (e.g., doi: 10.7554/eLife.88345; doi: 10.1016/j.redox.2022.102251; doi: 10.15252/emmm.202013695).  This project will further investigate the role of such pathways in pathology, with an emphasis on those controlling cellular bioenergetics and metabolism, with a particular focus on mitochondrial dysfunction and defective auto-/mitophagy. Performance of the work will mainly require experience/skills in cell and molecular biology, RNA/protein analysis, mitochondrial/metabolic activity assaying and bioinformatics.

This 2 years and 6 months post funded by Breast Cancer Now is focusing on the analysis of the tumour immune microenvironment in invasive lobular cancers using spatial transcriptomics.   Invasive lobular breast carcinoma (ILC) accounts for ~15% of invasive breast carcinomas and there is evidence that it has poorer 10-year survival rates than the more common ER-positive invasive ductal carcinoma. The aim of this project is to identify novel biomarkers of ILC recurrence, particularly recurrence within 5 years of diagnosis, through analysis of the tumour microenvironment. Secondary aims of the project are to assess the effect of previous hormone replacement therapy use, a known risk factor for the development of ILC, and germline features on the tumour microenvironment. We will examine the tumour microenvironment on tissue samples collected through the GLACIER study. This is a unique set of ILC samples with outcome and lifestyle data as well as information on inherited variation (polygenic risk score and rare germline variants). Tissue microarrays from 150 patients who have relapsed and 300 non relapsed patients we be analysed by spatial transcriptomics giving data on the tumour, stromal and immune components of ILC. 

The project is funded by the US National Institute of Mental Health (NIH) and explores the relationships between social isolation, cognition, aging, and outcomes of psychosis. This project role will involve conducting a follow-up of cohorts of individuals with a first episode of psychosis to examine course and outcome in older age groups. This project forms part of a multi-country programme of research.  

The first project aims to develop an ‘Enriched Package of Social Intervention for Psychoses’ (ENRICHED). This is a funded by Maudsley Charity’s Living Well with Psychosis theme. The project aims to develop and test – in partnership with communities and expert by experience – the delivery of a package of social interventions tailored to the assessed needs of people with a psychotic disorder. The purpose of this package of social intervention is to break the cycle of entrenched social disadvantage, isolation and discrimination that act as barriers to recovery and engagement with services, reduce effectiveness of therapeutic interventions and impacts quality of life. The second project, funded by the US National Institute of Mental Health (NIH) explores the relationships between social isolation, cognition, aging, and outcomes of psychosis. This project will involve conducting a follow-up of cohorts of individuals with a first episode of psychosis to examine course and outcome in older age groups. This project forms part of a multi-country programme of research.  

This BHF-funded position is for a talented and enthusiastic postdoctoral scientist to work on “ investigating novel roles of nesprin and the LINC complex in cardiomyocyte mechanotransduction”. The project will involve the use of wide range of experimental techniques including in vivo physiology, molecular biology, biochemistry and histology. We therefore seek to appoint an individual with a strong background in mouse model of cardiac disease as well as good experience of cell/molecular biology. Experience in surgery and in vivo phenotyping (e.g. high resolution echocardiography) is highly desirable. The postholder will be part of a vibrant multi-disciplinary research group working on several different aspects of cardiovascular pathophysiology, within the King’s BHF Centre of Research Excellence which has state-of-the-art laboratory facilities.

We are seeking an analyst to help generate and make use of nutrition and microbiome data gained in and linked with the TwinsUK cohort health datasets, facilitating a range of potential projects on the impact of diet on the microbiome and cardiometabolic measures.  The appropriate person will be a Registered Dietitian with a PhD utilising nutrition and microbiome data, be familiar with large datasets and bioinformatics modelling approaches.  Knowledge of and familiarity with measures of cardiometabolic health and running diet trials will be an advantage.