Description

View Vacancy -- MRC Postdoctoral Research Scientist LMS 2734

Open Date

18/11/2025, 10:00

Close Date

31/12/2025, 23:55

Research Institute

MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences

Research Institute / Unit Information

The MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS) is a biomedical research institute where scientists and clinicians collaborate to advance the understanding of biology and its application to medicine. We are proud to launch our new Team Science initiative, marking a bold step toward a more collaborative, challenge-driven model of research.

UK Research and Innovation is a new entity that brings together nine partners to create an independent organisation with a strong voice for research and innovation, more information can be found at www.ukri.org

Band

MRC - 4

Location

London

Salary

£42,694 per annum plus London allowance £5,560 per annum

Allowances

Additional allowances comprise a £1,000 lump sum Settlement Allowance plus a yearly Training Allowance of £850 in the first year, paid in monthly instalments. The Training Allowance increases to £1,300 in year two and £1,800 in year three.

Contract Type

Fixed Term

Job Type

Science

Full Time / Part Time

Full Time

Contract Length

3 years

Job Description

Team Science:

The MRC Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS) is proud to launch its new Team Science initiative, marking a bold step toward a more collaborative, challenge-driven model of research.

Scientific breakthroughs are often portrayed as the work of lone geniuses, but in reality, they are usually the result of collective effort. A Team Science project is not just bigger or multi-part, it's fundamentally different in its ethos and operational model. It's designed to foster true collaboration across disciplines, academic institutions, industry and the public, creating something that could not be achieved alone. It's about collective ambition, shared infrastructure and interdisciplinary innovation.

This new approach places collaboration and real-world impact at its core, integrating insights from across the LMS' existing expertise and diverse perspectives.

Overall purpose:

A new exciting opportunity has arisen for a 3 Year Postdoctoral Research Scientist to join the Reproductive Health and Fertility: Ageing, Sex and the Environment Team science project led by J Vaquerizas, E Martinez-Perez, and P. Hajkova. Reproductive health is an important aspect of human wellbeing, yet infertility affects approximately one in six people globally. Despite its prevalence and significant emotional, societal and economic impact, the biological mechanisms underlying infertility and reproductive ageing remain poorly understood. We have put together a team of internationally-leading experts in germline biology and genome function that will use transdisciplinary experimental approaches to understand how intrinsic and extrinsic factors influence female and male fertility and reproductive ageing.

We are looking for a talented and self-motivatedchromosome biology specialist to join the the Reproductive Health and Fertility: Ageing, Sex and the Environment Team science initiative . The main goal of the project will be to investigate sex-specific differences in meiotic chromosome organisation and function in different organisms ( C. elegans , mouse, and human samples) using super-resolution microscopy, proteomics, and 3D genome conformation experimental approaches. The candidate will work closely with other postdocs and students in the Team who will use computational and omics approaches to elucidate the genetic and molecular causes of infertility, the impact of aging in male and female fertility, and the effect of metabolism and germline-soma crosstalk on fertility.

Main duties / key responsibilities:

• Plan and carry out research in accordance with the project aims
• Interact and collaborate with group members
• Provide training and advice for other group members including PhD students
• Write-up and publish results in peer-reviewed journals
• Take an active part in the academic activities of the LMS
• Attend and contribute to lab meetings, journal clubs and seminar presentations
• Present data at national and international meetings (where and when appropriate)
• Form good working relationships with other members of the group as well as internal and external collaborators

Person Specification

Education / Qualifications / Training required (will be assessed from the application):

Essential:

• PhD (or equivalent experience) in an area related to chromosome biology or meiosis
• A first-author manuscript published or submitted from PhD work

Previous work experience required (will be assessed from the application and at the interview):

Essential:

• Extensive experience with basic molecular biology experimental approaches
• Microscopy skills to investigate chromosome biology
• Evidence that the candidate can plan and carry on a research project
• Good written communication skills in English
• Experience writing scientific manuscripts

Desirable:

• Experience working with C. elegans and or mouse as model organisms
• Experience in preparing samples for omics approaches (proteomics, Turbo-ID, genome conformation)

Knowledge and experience (will be assessed from the application and at the interview):

Essential:

• Good knowledge of general chromosome biology
• An interest in genome organisation and function

Desirable:

• Strong publication record and exposure to scientific meetings
• Previous experience working on meiotic chromosomes

Personal skills/behaviours/qualities (will be assessed at the interview):

Essential:

• Excellent laboratory skills
• Excellent organisational skills
• Excellent attention to details
• Excellent creativity
• High-motivation and perseverance
• The post holder should be prepared to work unsociable hours as work demands from time to time
• Ability and willingness to adapt to changing timetables or work patterns as dictated by changing circumstances
• Ability to work under pressure while maintaining a high degree of accuracy
• Proven ability to prioritise, plan ahead and manage a high volume of work to meet deadlines, both prescribed and self-imposed
• Ability to use own initiative and work independently and as part of a team, as required
• Problem solving abilities
• Proven multitasking abilities
• Ability to work in a collaborative research environment
• Willingness to give and receive help with challenging problems
• Good verbal communication skills in English
• Ability to communicate its science in a clear way.
• Good interpersonal skills
• Willingness to share knowledge and transfer skills to other members of the group on a daily basis

Further Information

Please upload your CV, names and contacts of two scientific references, along with a cover letter stating why you are applying for this role (providing evidence against the requirements of the job as per the job description and person specification). Please quote reference number LMS 2734.

Please note that applications may be reviewed by both LMS and Imperial staff

The MRC is a unique working environment where scientific researchers and professional support staff can actively partake in world class innovation and collaboration opportunities and their skills and knowledge through accessing a wide catalogue of training & development, including professional registration with the Science Council.

In addition, MRC (part of UKRI) provides its community of employees access to a whole host of useful benefits, including a defined benefit pension scheme and excellent holiday entitlement (30 days plus 2.5 privilege days & 8 bank holidays), family friendly policies (6 months full pay maternity & adoption leave), a range of shopping/travel discounts, access to our Employee Assistant Programme Scheme, Health and Wellbeing Support and a salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. Please follow this link to find out more - Benefits

Our success is dependent upon our ability to embrace diversity and draw on the skills, understanding and experience of all our people. We warmly invite people from diverse backgrounds and heritage, including people who identify as having a disability, to apply for a role that excites them. As "Disability Confident" employers, we guarantee to interview all applicants who have disclosed they have a disability and who meet the minimum criteria for the vacancy.

UKRI supports research in areas that include animal health, agriculture and food security, and bioscience for health which includes research on animals, genetic modification and stem cell research. Whilst you may not have direct involvement in this type of research, you should consider whether this conflicts with your personal values or beliefs.

We will conduct a full and comprehensive pre-employment check as an essential part of the recruitment process on all individuals that are offered a position with UKRI. This will include a security check and an extreme organisations affiliation check. The role holder will be required to have the appropriate level of security screening/vetting required for the role. UKRI reserves the right to run or re-run security clearance as required during the course of employment.