Postdoctoral Training Fellow in Influenza : London, United Kingdom

Postdoctoral Training Fellow in Influenza

McCauley Lab

This is a full-time, fixed term position for 4 years on Crick Terms and Conditions of Employment.
Salary between £33,500 – £36,600 per annum, subject to skills and experience.

Context

The Francis Crick Institute (the Crick) is a partnership between the Medical Research Council (MRC), Cancer Research UK (CRUK), the Wellcome Trust, University College London (UCL), Imperial College London and King’s College London. It is a registered charity whose purpose is to conduct biomedical research into all aspects of human health and disease.

The institute will be a world-leading centre of biomedical research and innovation. It will promote connections between researchers and disciplines and between academic institutions, healthcare organisations and businesses. Dedicated to research excellence, the institute will have the scale, vision and expertise to tackle the most challenging scientific questions underpinning health and disease. It will be world-class with a strong national role — training scientists and developing ideas for public good. On 1 April 2015, staff from the London Research Institute (CRUK) and National Institute for Medical Research (MRC) transferred to the Crick to form a fully functional research institute on four sites. In 2016, the Crick will move to a single new, purpose-built research centre in St. Pancras which will house some 1,500 staff.

We seek a talented and motivated postdoc in the virology of influenza viruses to join the Crick Worldwide Influenza Centre under the leadership of Dr John McCauley.

Organisation

The Crick Worldwide Influenza Centre is one of six WHO Collaborating Centres for Influenza and focuses on the analysis of human influenza viruses, both seasonal and zoonotic. 

Objectives

The research aims to develop and apply modern molecular biological methods to enable us to understand more fully the properties of emerging human and animal influenza viruses and the epidemic and pandemic threats that these viruses pose.

Specific objectives will include, but not be limited to:

• Developing methods for the biophysical analysis of the antigenic properties of viruses
• Developing and applying new methods for the analysis of receptor-binding and receptor-destroying activities of influenza viruses
• Analysing the evolution of influenza viruses of humans and animals.

Person Specification

The post holder should embody and demonstrate our core Crick values: Bold, Imaginative, Open, Dynamic and Collegial, in addition to the following:

Essential

• PhD in Virology or Molecular Biology or in the final stages of PhD submission
• Track record of writing papers as evidenced by publications or submitted manuscripts in referred journals
• Evidence of data presentation at scientific meetings
• Experience of experimental design
• Ability to work independently and also capable of interacting within a group

Desirable

• Experience in research with RNA viruses
• Experience in reverse genetic s of RNA viruses
• Experience in the application of biophysical techniques to analyse the properties of macromolecules.

All Postdoctoral Training Fellows are expected to lead on their own projects and contribute to other projects on a collaborative basis, both within the laboratory and with collaborators. The ability to work as part of a team is essential.