Advanced Research Assistant/ Technical Specialist

Do you want to help us improve human health and understand life on Earth? Make your mark by shaping the future to enable or deliver life-changing science to solve some of humanity's greatest challenges.

Are you passionate about translational, interdisciplinary research at the intersection of high-throughput screening and deep learning to uncover therapeutic vulnerabilities?

We are seeking a talented and enthusiastic Advanced Research Assistant or Technical Specialist (role dependent on experience) with expertise in human-induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs), molecular biology, and, ideally, in vitro infection models.

About the Role

You will join the wet lab team of the Haniffa Lab (haniffalab.com) for a 3-year fixed-term contract. You will contribute to a collaborative project with the Lotfollahi Lab (https://lotfollahi.com/). Both labs are part of the Cellular Genetics Programme at the Sanger Institute (Cellular Genetics). As part of this position, we will support the successful candidates to develop their computational skills and learn concepts about machine learning.

Your primary role will focus on optimizing protocols to introduce perturbations and evaluate their effects in a skin organoid model derived from hiPSCs.

While this role is primarily lab-based, there will be opportunities to engage with state-of-the-art machine learning methods and receive bioinformatics training to some extent.

About You

You should be adaptable to the demands of tissue culture and maintain exceptional accuracy, given the high cost of reagents and the lengthy organoid differentiation protocols.

Strong interpersonal and communication skills are essential for close coordination with the Senior Staff Scientists leading these projects and for collaborating effectively with other team members, including those from the Cellular Operations facilities at the Sanger Institute.

To meet the targets established by the lead scientists, you are expected to organize and execute complex experimental work independently.

About us

The Haniffa group is part of the Human Cell Atlas initiative, a global collaboration that aims to create a comprehensive reference map of the human body by mapping every cell. The data generated will provide a vital foundation for understanding human health and diagnosing, monitoring, and treating disease. The Organoid team of the Haniffa Lab has successfully transferred at the Sanger Institute a protocol allowing the growth of hairy skin organoids from hiPSCs (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41596-022-00681-y) to study human skin development and model inflammatory skin diseases in a dish.

The Lotfollahi lab develops state-of-the-art generative machine learning tools that can model cellular behaviours across various modalities and scales.

You will work within an interdisciplinary team of wet and computer scientists, with a shared goal of improving our understanding of the rules of life and using this to improve health for all.

Additional information

Applications: Please include a cover letter along with your CV. In your cover letter, include detail on how your knowledge, skills and experience match the requirements of the role described.

Salary:

Advanced Research Assistant: £32,600 - £39,200

Technical Specialist: £40,500 - £48,600

Closing Date: Friday 10-JAN-25

Interviews: Week starting on 3/02/25.

Contract duration: 3 years fixed-term

Role profile: For the full list of accountabilities and criteria, please click below.

Advanced Research Assistant

Technical Specialist

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Hybrid Working at Wellcome Sanger:

We recognise that there are many benefits to Hybrid Working; including an improved work-life balance, with more focused time, as well as the ability to organise working time so that collaborative opportunities and team discussions are facilitated on campus. The hybrid working arrangement will vary for different roles and teams. The nature of your role and the type of work you do will determine if a hybrid working arrangement is possible.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion:

We aim to attract, recruit, retain and develop talent from the widest possible talent pool, thereby gaining insight and access to different markets to generate a greater impact on the world. We have a supportive culture with the following staff networks, LGBTQ+, Parents and Carers, Disability and Race Equity to bring people together to share experiences, offer specific support and development opportunities and raise awareness. The networks are also a place for allies to provide support to others.

We want our people to be whoever they want to be because we believe people who bring their best selves to work, do their best work. That's why we're committed to creating a truly inclusive culture at Sanger Institute. We will consider all individuals without discrimination and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees, where everyone can thrive.

Our Benefits:

We are proud to deliver an awarding campus-wide employee wellbeing strategy and programme. The importance of good health and adopting a healthier lifestyle and the commitment to reduce work-related stress is strongly acknowledged and recognised at Sanger Institute.

Sanger Institute became a signatory of the International Technician Commitment initiative In March 2018. The Technician Commitment aims to empower and ensure visibility, recognition, career development and sustainability for technicians working in higher education and research, across all disciplines.