King's College London

About us 

At the Centre for Developmental Neurobiology (CDN), we investigate the mechanisms governing the formation of the brain during embryonic development and in early postnatal life. This is based on the understanding that early experience shapes the way our brain is constructed. While the “ground plan” of the brain is genetically determined, it is also influenced by environmental experience. We are still far from a complete understanding of how these processes work.

CDN is one of four departments in the School of Neuroscience at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience and is located at Guy’s campus. Researchers have access to support facilities in genotyping, molecular biology and Drosophila work. CDN has close partnership with the Medical Research Council (MRC) and CDN researchers, together with clinical researchers from King’s, make up the MRC Centre for Neurodevelopmental Disorders. 

About the role

We are seeking a skilled and motivated scientist with postdoctoral experience and expertise in organoid models of neurodevelopment to join our UKRI-funded Functional Genomics of Human Developing Brain cluster. This project focuses on investigating loss-of-function mutations in genes associated with neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders through comprehensive molecular and functional profiling of cortical organoids.

The Project Manager will lead the development and implementation of a cutting-edge platform for generating brain organoids and assembloids from human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) and embryonic stem cells (hESCs). The successful candidate will provide scientific leadership for the Brain Organoid Platform, supervise technical staff, and ensure the highest standards of research excellence while maintaining detailed experimental records and contributing to the training of facility users.

This is an exciting opportunity to lead a state-of-the-art brain organoids platform at the forefront of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorder research. The successful candidate will join a dynamic research environment with access to cutting-edge facilities and the opportunity to make significant contributions to understanding brain development and disease.

This is a full time (35 Hours per week), and you will be offered a fixed-term contract for 3 years, until 31/10/2028.

The role offers excellent opportunities for career development, including potential for permanent position consideration based on performance and funding availability.

About you

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

Essential criteria:

1. PhD in Neuroscience, Developmental Biology, Cell Biology, Genetics, or related field
2. Proven postdoctoral research experience (minimum 3 years)
3. Extensive hands-on experience with the culture and maintenance of human induced pluripotent and embryonic stem cells, including the generation of neural organoids
4. Demonstrated project management skills with ability to meet deadlines
5. Strong organizational skills with attention to detail

Desirable criteria:

1. Experience in training and mentoring research personnel
2. Experience with advanced imaging techniques
3. Experience with single-cell RNA sequencing, including sample preparation
4. Experience with bioinformatics tools for the analysis of single-cell RNA sequencing datasets
5. Experience carrying out multi-electrode array recordings from neural organoids

Downloading a copy of our Job Description

Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the next page after you click “Apply Now”. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

Further information

We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community.

We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King's.

We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the advert. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.

To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our ‘How we Recruit’ pages.

We are able to offer sponsorship for candidates who do not currently possess the right to work in the UK.