King's College London

About Us

The post-holder will be based within Professor Tutt’s and Richard Vile’s laboratories at the KCL Guy’s Campus. The research group focuses on identifying and characterising targets and associated biomarkers for the treatment of breast cancers. In particular, the group focuses on triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) and cancers associated with functional DNA damage repair deficiencies, such as BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations.

About The Role

We are seeking an enthusiastic individual to join the Patient Derived Models (PDM) team in the Breast Cancer Now Research Unit, directed by Professor Andrew Tutt and Professor Sheeba Irshad. The post-holder will be based within Professor Tutt’s and Richard Vile’s laboratories at the KCL Guy’s Campus.

The research group focuses on identifying and characterising targets and associated biomarkers for the treatment of breast cancers. In particular, the group focuses on triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) and cancers associated with functional DNA damage repair deficiencies, such as BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. The primary focus of the PDM team is to develop patient derived xenograft (PDX) models from breast cancer patient samples. 

To date, the PDM team have successfully generated a large panel of in vivo PDX experimental models of breast cancer which are subsequently used by the team as representative patient models for translational studies. In addition to contributing to generation of new PDX models, the post holder will also work on additional in vivo experimental models of breast cancer including cell line xenografts and metastatic models. 

Together the aim of this work is to identify and characterise targets and associated biomarkers for development of novel breast cancer therapies. The post holder will be required to perform in vivo research to the highest ethical standard under the supervision of Blanca Navarro and direction of Professor Tutt and Professor Richard Vile.

This is a full time (35 hours per week), and you will be offered an a fixed term contract until 05 April 2028.

About You

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

Essential criteria

1. Minimum level 3 qualification, e.g. A levels, AS levels, International Baccalaureate diploma or other Level 3 qualification, plus work experience in relevant technical/scientific posts OR Considerable knowledge and skills gained through work experience in relevant technical or scientific posts.
2. Demonstrable experience working with mice and/or within a biomedical research environment.
3. Knowledge and practical use of a range of relevant technical skills and their environmental impact. Ability to apply learned techniques effectively within the work context, including molecular biology techniques, in vivo procedures, and mammalian culture.
4. Clear spoken and written communication skills, with proficient computer use and strong interpersonal and influencing/behavioural skills.
5. Proactive and responsive to contacts in immediate area, across the wider organisation and externally (e.g., suppliers) to build relationships and network.
6. Solutions-focused self-starter, with strong planning and analytical skills, able to manage competing priorities, maintain accurate records and data, and work with minimal supervision.
7. Working knowledge of regulations and best practice governing area of work, including Health & Safety and Home Office regulations relative to animal experimentation.
8. Evidence of an active commitment to career development including professional registration, such as RSciTech or RSci and clear progression in increasingly demanding jobs.

Desirable criteria

1. BSc (Hons) degree in a relevant subject
2. Holds a UK Personal Licence for Home Office Modules A, B and C.
3. Previous experience working in cancer research with tumour xenograft or PDX models.
4. Experience of working with patient material (including bloods), cell Biology techniques (tissue culture, cell-based assays), molecular biology (DNA/RNA extractions/PCR) and histopathology.
5. Able and willing to provide support beyond core hours, as required.

This post is subject to Occupational Health clearances.

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 page. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

Further Information

At King’s, we believe that the diversity of our community and a culture that is welcoming, open, inclusive and collaborative, are great strengths of the university.

The Equality Act of 2010 protects the rights of our students and staff and provides a framework to fulfil our duties to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and in addition, to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between those who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. At times, this will include balancing rights and beliefs that can feel in tension.

We are committed to free speech and to academic freedom, believing that our foundational purpose as a university, is to create spaces where a wide range of ideas, including ideas that are controversial, can be discussed and debated, and where members of our community can express lawful views without fear of intimidation, harassment or discrimination.

When engaging in the robust exchange of ideas, we ask that our community is mindful of our Dignity at King’s guidance.

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 person specification section of the job description. 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.

We reserve the right to close adverts early due to the volume of applications we receive. While the closing date may change, all adverts will close at 23:59 to allow sufficient time for applications to be submitted on that day.

We encourage you to apply at the earliest opportunity to avoid disappointment as once we have closed a vacancy you will be unable to submit your application.

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