Research Fellow

Cancer Sciences

Location:  

Southampton General Hospital

Salary:  

£32,348 to £35,333
Per annum

Full Time Fixed Term (24 months)

Closing Date:  

Thursday 03 November 2022

Interview Date:  

To be confirmed

Reference:  

1962722CM-R

Cancer Research UK and the National Institute for Health and Care Research core fund the Southampton Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC) to provide infrastructure for the delivery of early phase cancer trials (https://www.ecmcnetwork.org.uk/southampton ). Key to the success of these trials is the delivery of high-quality translational endpoints so that we may learn as much as possible from each patient participating in studies. Southampton ECMC has a broad and expanding portfolio of novel agent studies across a range of cancers, and hosts one of the 3 Cancer Research UK Centre for Drug Development Biomarker Hubs. We are looking to appoint a full time Research Fellow to support new early phase clinical trials and other clinical trials or research studies with a focus on immunological monitoring and cellular pathology techniques. The role is funded by the Centre for Drug Development (CDD) at Cancer Research UK.

The post holder will be part of the Southampton ECMC based in the Wessex Investigational Sciences Hub (WISH) laboratory, specifically designed to host regulated clinical trial work within all fields of experimental cancer medicines (including cancer immunotherapy) and in the Research and Development Laboratory of Cellular Pathology, University Hospital Southampton. This role falls within the remit of the School of Cancer Sciences in the Faculty of Medicine, which provides a stimulating working environment for more than 150 scientists, clinicians and associated staff investigating cancer and its treatment.

The post holder will work to support a portfolio of early phase clinical trials working to oversee the development and delivery of a range of translational clinical trial endpoints for CR UK CDD led studies. This will involve the development and validation of new assays as well as running existing assays to Good Clinical Practice for laboratories standards including (but not limited to) flow cytometry, ELISA and ELISpot assays, immunohistochemistry assays and genomics assays. This post will also be responsible for co-ordinating the receipt of samples from sites across the UK, their analysis and the reporting of results. The post holder will have close interactions with the CR UK CDD Biomarker Specialists and Trial teams leading these studies and will provide guidance to the Trial Management Groups. Southampton ECMC is part of a national network. The post holder will be expected to engage with other ECMC sites and participate in network wide activities in order to forward the strategic aims of both our local ECMC and the network as a whole (https://www.ecmcnetwork.org.uk/ ).[DJP1]  

You should have significant relevant research experience and be qualified to PhD or equivalent professional qualifications in biological sciences. It is desirable to have previous research experience in the field of cancer immunotherapy, immunology and/or cancer genomics.

Applications will be considered from candidates who are working towards or nearing completion of a relevant PhD qualification. The title of Research Fellow will be applied upon completion of PhD. Prior to the qualification being awarded, the title of Senior Research Assistant will be given.

We are looking for someone motivated, a good team player with excellent communication skills, capable of delivering research tasks in a timely manner and with accuracy. You will be part of a multi-disciplinary team that includes post-doctoral research fellows, PhD students, clinicians and also junior staff that you will supervise. Experience of working with clinical samples and a good laboratory practice framework is desirable.

This post will be primarily based within the state-of-the-art WISH laboratories at Southampton General Hospital campus, with support for clinical and laboratory based senior colleagues.

The employing organisation is the University of Southampton which offers a competitive salary, pension scheme and other benefits. This post is offered on a full time, fixed term contract for 24 months in the first instance, with the possibility of an extension. At the University of Southampton we promote equality and value diversity.

Application Procedure

You should submit your completed online application form at https://jobs.soton.ac.uk . The application deadline will be midnight on the closing date stated above. If you need any assistance, please call Sian Gale (Recruitment Team) on +44 (0) 23 8059 2750, or email recruitment@soton.ac.uk . Please quote reference 1962722CM-R on all correspondence.

Further details:

We believe equality, diversity and inclusion are fundamental to making the University of Southampton a welcoming, vibrant and successful organisation. Having a diverse workforce, inclusive of people of all ages and beliefs, from different racial, educational and social backgrounds opens up a wealth of possibilities, makes us more creative and accelerates our impact on society. We welcome applicants that value the diversity of our community and are willing to play their part in supporting the mission of inclusivity. 

Please note that applications from agencies will not be accepted unless indicated in the job advert.