Research Assistant x2

Ref Number B02-06859 Professional Expertise Research and Research Support Department School of Life & Medical Sciences (B02) Location London Working Pattern Full time Salary £34,605–£39,980 Contract Type Permanent Working Type Hybrid Available For Secondment No Closing Date 30-May-2024 About us

Biosciences is one of the world’s foremost centres for research and teaching in the biological sciences and one of the largest Divisions within UCL, undertaking a significant amount of research and teaching. The Division has a diverse portfolio addressing all areas of biology from protein interactions to cell function, organism development, genetics, population studies and the environment.

The UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology was established in 1950, merged with UCL in 1997, and is a key component of the Faculty of Brain Sciences (FBS) at UCL. The Institute has eight academic research Departments, which encompass clinical and basic research within each theme. In parallel, there are currently six Divisions representing clinical professional affiliations. Our mission is to translate neuroscience discovery research into treatments for patients with neurological diseases.

The Beato and Brownstone labs are currently integrated and share resources and personnel. Our group investigates the physiology and pathology of the neuronal circuits controlling movement employing techniques ranging from anatomical circuit tracing, in vitro and in vivo electrophysiological recordings, multiphoton microscopy and behavioural analysis. Members of our group regularly publish in scientific journals and present their work at international conferences.

About the role

We have an exciting opportunity to join our labs for two Research Assistants. The positions are available from 1 June 2024 and are funded by the two Wellcome Trust awards for an initial period of 1 year (potentially extendable). The primary responsibility of the post holders will be to perform tissue sectioning, immunohistological analysis and confocal imaging of spinal cord and brain tissue extracted from mice carrying mutations that can induce a dystonic phenotype. We will focus on models of dystonia caused by a deletion of Tor1A, that is common in human patients. Dystonia is one of the most common movement disorders and we have recently shown that its signs can be reproduced by restricting the underlying mutation to the spinal cord, thus challenging the common view that dystonia is caused by dysfunction of the basal ganglia (Pocratsky et al, Science Translational Medicine, 2023). This finding has spearheaded a new line of research in the lab and within this project we aim at dissecting the spinal circuits alterations that are responsible for the dystonic phenotype and using this knowledge to understand normal spinal circuit function.

We will consider applications to work on a part-time, flexible and job share basis wherever possible. This appointment is subject to UCL Terms and Conditions of Service for Research and Professional Services Staff. Please visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/human-resources/conditions-service-research-teaching-and-professional-services-staff for more information.

The post is an open-ended contract with a funding end date of 30 May 2025 in the first instance (potentially extendable).

If you have any queries about the role, please contact Prof. Marco Beato and Prof. Rob Brownstone at m.beato@ucl.ac.uk, and r.brownstone@ucl.ac.uk.

If you need reasonable adjustments or a more accessible format to apply for this job online or have any queries about the application process, please contact Biosciences staffing at biosciences.staffing@ucl.ac.uk.

About you

The postholders will have a BSc in a Biomedical subject (preferably Neuroscience- related), or equivalent qualification, or substantial previous experience with immunohistochemistry and laboratory experience in tissue sectioning, including use of cryostat and/or microtome. Excellent oral and written communication skills are essential as are good interpersonal skills with an ability to work cooperatively in a multidisciplinary setting.

A job description and person specification listing all essential and desirable criteria for the roles can be accessed at the bottom of this page.

What we offer As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents, we also offer some great benefits some of which are below:

• 41 Days holiday (27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days)
• Additional 5 days’ annual leave purchase scheme
• Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE)
• Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan
• Immigration loan and expenses
• Relocation scheme for certain posts
• On-Site nursery
• On-site gym
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay
• Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service
• Discounted medical insurance

Visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/reward-and-benefits to find out more. Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.

We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce.

These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.

Our department holds an Athena SWAN Silver award, in recognition of our commitment to advancing gender equality.

You can read more about our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/equality-diversity-inclusion/