24 Postdoctoral Fellowship at University of Cambridge, United Kingdom

A position exists, for a Research Assistant/Associate in the Department of Engineering, to work on aperiodic quantum photonic devices.

The Research Assistant/Associate will join the Integrated Quantum Photonics group, based in the Nanoscience Centre at the University of Cambridge, a newly founded research group that works on simulation, nanofabrication and optical characterisation of nano- and quantum photonic devices, integrating quantum light emitters.

They will work on a research project focused on the development of aperiodic photonic devices embedding light emitter for fundamental quantum optics experiments and for the realisation of single-photon devices and novel nano-lasers with enhanced performances for quantum technology applications. Their work will build upon our recent work in the area [see, for instance, Applied Physics Letters 117, 124006 (2020) and Applied Physics Letters 118, 011103 (2021)].

Applications are invited for a 30 month position funded by the National Centre for Atmospheric Science (NCAS), a Research Centre of the Natural Environment Research Council. You will be a key part of the NCAS@Cambridge group based in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Cambridge. The successful applicant will work closely with other scientists in NCAS, the UK Met Office, and the University of Cambridge on work focused on developing next generation software for use on current and future supercomputing hardware, as accelerators are increasingly used in large high performance computing systems.

The project concerns the development of new catalytic approaches to enantioselective radical reactions that utilise ion-pairing interactions. Radical reactions, in which electrons move singly rather than in pairs, have seen an immense pace of development in recent years. These exciting developments, many of which produce stereocentres, have served to highlight the ongoing challenge of rendering radical reactions enantioselective. Whilst many of the key enantiocontrol strategies from the two-electron world have been applied, these are ineffective in many situations and each strategy possesses specific limitations. Our group is interested in an approach to catalysis that utilises attractive non-covalent interactions between catalyst and substrate to draw the two close and better exercise control (for a review see Nature Chem., 2020, 12, 990). Particularly, ion-pairing is one of the most fundamental and powerful non-covalent interactions but is frequently underexplored by synthetic chemists as a controlling force. We have used this extensively in the context of transition metal catalysis (for a perspective see J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2022, 144, 18195) and now seek to apply this knowledge to challenges in radical chemistry. Previous work in the group has used chiral phosphoric acids to develop the first protocol for enantioselective Minisci reacitons (see Acc. Chem. Res. 2023, 56, 2037-2049). In this project we will more seek to apply ion-pairing approaches to tackle a broad range of radical reactions and render them enantioselective.

Two posts are available within Tim Dalgleish’s research programme at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, a Postdoctoral Research Associate (PDRA) and a Senior Research Associate/PDRA. The post holder will be a member of the clinical research programme run by Tim Dalgleish who will line manage the post holder. The post holder will work on a Wellcome Mental Health Award (PI: Becky Lawson, Cambridge Dept. of Psychology) focused on uncertainty processing as a fundamental mechanism in the understanding and treatment of anxiety disorders. The post holders will be involved in setting up and delivering embedded mechanisms studies/interventions in a randomised controlled trial of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) for uncertainty involving participants with a diagnosis of Generalised Anxiety Disorder.

We have a postdoctoral position available to study host-pathogen interactions and innate immune recognition in the group of Prof. Yorgo Modis in the University of Cambridge Department of Medicine. The Modis group is part of the Molecular Immunity Unit within the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology (MRC-LMB). We benefit from the outstanding scientific environment and infrastructure of the MRC-LMB, and from being part of the virology and immunology communities as members of the Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology & Infectious Disease (CITIID).

We are seeking a postdoctoral researcher to join a multidisciplinary project studying earthquake hazard in India, and helping to build resilience to that hazard. The successful candidate will combine seismology, fieldwork, and the analysis of satellite data to characterise and quantify earthquake hazard, including the development of new techniques and approaches. The work will span both Himalayan and ‘intraplate’ faulting, and will be undertaken in close collaboration with India-based members of the project team, in particular Prof Supriyo Mitra at IISER Kolkata.

The successful candidate will have a PhD in either of seismology, or field/satellite-based studies of active tectonics, and with the desire to develop their skills in the other, complementary, field. All necessary training will be provided. The successful candidate will also have a demonstrable ability to undertake high-quality research and the ability to work effectively as part of a team. The logistical constraints of the research will require the successful candidate to base themselves in Cambridge, and we anticipate multiple research visits to work with our Indian collaborators.

Computational modelling is at the core of climate science, where complex models of earth systems are key to the scientific process. Most models embed significant inherent and accidental complexity which hampers verification and maintenance, reproducibility, and performance. Furthermore, modern models are exceptionally data-rich, both in terms of observational inputs and simulation outputs. There is consequently a pressing need for multi-disciplinary research, bringing together computer science, data science and climate science to deliver new high-quality, high-performance, and high-assurance models capable of yielding real transformational insights into our changing climate. Fostering such multi-disciplinary research is the aim of this 3-year Early Career Advanced Fellowship in the Institute of Computing for Climate Science (ICCS) at the University of Cambridge.

We seek a postdoctoral scientist to work with Professor Sir Shankar Balasubramanian on the chemical biology of nucleic acids and their role in the fundamental mechanisms of cancer. The post will be based in our group at Cancer Research UK’s Cambridge Institute (CI) and involves close collaboration with our group based in the University Chemistry Department. The post is available from Autumn 2024.

We have a vacancy for a molecular biologist to contribute to our research on genome structure and function. Current projects include elucidating four-stranded nucleic acid structures (G-quadruplexes), their interacting proteins, their mechanisms in relation to gene expression regulation, and their suitability as therapeutic targets and biomarkers of cancer. We also study the structure and function of chemically-modified DNA bases and their epigenetic roles in normal biology and disease. Our interdisciplinary lab innovates and applies methods that include sequencing technologies, genome-targeting and chemical biology.

The successful applicant will develop and implement innovative ultra high-field MRI and MRS sequences, protocols, and data analysis pipelines to address cutting edge neuroscience questions. They will join a research-focused multi-disciplinary team of MRI physicists and neuroscientists using neuroimaging in both human and animal models for discovery and translational neuroscience.

The research activity is at the core of a Wellcome Trust funded Collaborative award that brings together a cross-disciplinary team of international experts to build cutting edge MRI tools for investigating brain network dynamics for adaptive behaviour. Our work programme bridges work across species (mice, humans) and scales (local circuits, global networks) to uncover the network and neurochemical mechanisms that support learning and brain plasticity.

We are starting a new project with the aim to transform the design of engineering components from one based on selecting a best single material to one in which material properties and compositions are treated as continuous, spatially varying quantities. The project will amongst other things use (i) lab-based flux enhanced tomography for full field measurement of deformation fields and X-ray diffraction measurements of volumetric stress coupled to novel specimen designs, and (ii) associated data-driven material model discovery techniques. We are looking a research associate/assistant to work in the experimental aspects to the project which will involve insitu material testing within X-ray tomographic setups, design of these setups as well as analysis of the associated measurements.

We are looking for a talented clinician to join a multidisciplinary team of clinical and basic scientists investigating the drivers of cancer cachexia.

This post represents an excellent opportunity for a medically qualified trainee (oncology, endocrinology or metabolism) to play a key role in undertaking human based studies, including detailed analysis of food intake and energy expenditure in a naturalistic setting.

There will also be opportunity to be involved in molecular and immunological laboratory analysis related to this project.

The team includes oncologists, endocrinologists and psychiatrists looking to focus their established experience in understanding disorders of body weight onto the problem of weight loss in cancer.

Applications are invited for a full-time Research Associate in Health Economics to work in the Primary Care Unit of the Department of Public Health and Primary Care.

The successful candidate will undertake health economic analyses being conducted as part of a CRUK-funded project evaluating the ‘Test, Evidence, Transition’ (TET) programme. This is a UK-based multi-partner, collaborative, mixed-methods project involving the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. The post holder will also contribute to activities within the new NIHR Policy Research Unit (PRU) on cancer awareness, screening and early diagnosis, working with policy-makers to translate research into policy.

Applications are invited for a post-doctoral research associate to join the group of Dr Alexander Forse at the Department of Chemistry at the University of Cambridge.

This project is funded by an impact acceleration account grant (from UKRI) on the scale-up and commercialization of new adsorbent materials developed in the Forse Group. The primary aim of this project is to advance the scale-up and commercialization of a new class of adsorbent materials with applications in carbon dioxide capture from ambient air. An initial contract of 9 months is offered with the possibility of an extension.

As the principal museum of the University of Cambridge and the largest cultural venue in the region, The Fitzwilliam Museum acts as a crucial bridge between the University, the City and the rest of the world, and has an international reputation for extraordinary research, world class exhibitions, award-winning public programmes and significant collections spanning many cultures and centuries. The Hamilton Kerr Institute (HKI) is one of the world’s leading centres for teaching and research in conservation and heritage science.

We are transforming our research and impact environment to more effectively support a range of projects and activities that have participatory approaches at the core of their work. To help us achieve this ambition, we are seeking a Practitioner Research Associate: Collections and Wellbeing (Young Adults) who will be part of a dedicated team of practitioner researchers exploring the potential of the University collections to support knowledge exchange, generate societal, cultural and policy impact.

Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Associate to work with Dr Virginia Pedicord at the Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology & Infectious Disease (CITIID) in the Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre to explore the mechanisms by which commensal microbes affect host immunity. This will involve using, improving and expanding the lab’s metagenomics and transcriptomics bioinformatics tools and pipelines. The ideal applicant will love scientific investigation, have a strong work ethic and excellent organisation skills and be detail-oriented, persistent, and passionate about working as a team to build a successful research group. Applicants must have a PhD degree in Bioinformatics or Computational Biology or equivalent experience, preferably with some experience in metagenomics and/or transcriptomics. Experience with wet lab validation methods, such as in vitro tissue and bacterial culture, strongly preferred but not required. Applications should include a full CV and a cover letter that includes a brief statement outlining key areas of technical knowledge and reasons why you would like to join the group.

Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Research Associate to work with Dr Virginia Pedicord at the Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology & Infectious Disease (CITIID) in the Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre to explore the mechanisms by which commensal microbes affect disease susceptibility. This will involve using in vivo models, cellular immunology, transcriptomics and proteomics to characterise the complex interactions between the intestinal epithelium, immune cells and commensal microbial community. The ideal applicant will love scientific investigation, have a good work ethic and excellent organisation skills, be detail-oriented, persistent, and passionate about working as a team to build a successful research group. Applicants must have a PhD degree in Biological Science with a focus on Microbiology or Immunology, preferably with some experience in murine in vivo infection and/or inflammation models. Experience with proteomics, transcriptomics, advanced imaging and/or bioinformatics strongly preferred but not required. Applications should include a full CV and a cover letter that includes a brief statement outlining key areas of technical knowledge and reasons why you would like to join the group.

The Halim lab (https://www.cruk.cam.ac.uk/research-groups/halim-group) is recruiting a highly talented and motivated scientist to join a vibrant and collaborative tissue immunology group within the University of Cambridge, CRUK Cambridge Institute. We are interested in understanding the role of innate lymphoid cells in regulating the immune response in tissue-homeostasis, inflammatory diseases and cancer. We focus on the ability of ILC to regulate both innate and adaptive immunity (Halim TYF et al. Immunity 2018, Schuijs MJ et al. Nature Immunology 2020, Stockis J et al. Immunology 2019). Our long-term goal is to reveal novel fundamental immunological mechanisms related to ILC biology and immune regulation, and therapeutically modulate these in cancer and chronic inflammation.

The two positions available are as follows:

1) Research Associate in Modelling Network Data (Nuffield Foundation)

Project – Breaking Networks of Youth Serious Violence in the UK funded by the Nuffield Foundation

The overall research aim is to apply a relational (network) approach to understand and break networks of serious violence among young people. The project is quantitative in nature and will leverage mid- and large-scale databases to identify the mechanisms underpinning violent behaviour among at-risk young people in the UK. Fixed term: the funds for this post are available for 18 months.

2) Research Associate in Modelling Network Data (ESRC)

Project – A Relational Approach to Serious Violence and Co-Offending funded by the ESRC

The overall research aim is to enhance our understanding of the role of networks in the emergence and continuity of violence. The project will leverage large-scale police records to reconstruct networks of cooperation and violence victimisation and identify mechanisms underpinning both phenomena. Fixed term: the funds for this post are available for 15 months in the first instance.

As a Research Associate working on either of these projects, you would independently carry out quantitative network modelling on large-scale datasets. Strong quantitative skills in network analysis are therefore an essential requirement. To excel in this position, you will have strong programming skills, advanced network modelling expertise, and a strong background in quantitative/computational methods. Applicants must have (or be about to obtain) a PhD in Social Sciences with a strong quantitative component, or in the border Network Science field including Computer Science, Physics and Public Health (specific requirements are detailed in the Further Particulars). Previous experience of studying crime-related themes, including violence is desirable but not essential.

The REAL Centre, at the Faculty of Education, is looking to appoint a Research Associate focus on gender and education. The postholder will be responsible for supporting both qualitative and quantitative research related to gender and education. Where relevant, this will include research design and ethical approval processes, overseeing coding, and undertaking analysis, as well as reviewing relevant literature for the preparation of academic and non-academic outputs. In particular, the role will involve analysis and write-up for co-publication of existing qualitative and quantitative data that have been collected as part of ongoing and previous projects, with a focus on gender and education. It will also involve ongoing support, in collaboration with Professor Pauline Rose, to the What Works Hub for Global Education.

The postholder will be responsible for supporting quantitative research related to assessing learning outcomes, and analysing impact and cost-effectiveness of educational interventions. Where relevant, this will include examination of datasets, data management, linking of financial data with monitoring and evaluation data and undertaking analysis. Review of relevant literature for the preparation of academic and non-academic outputs is essential. In particular, the role will involve analysis and write-up for co-publication of existing quantitative data that have been collected as part of ongoing projects.

A position exists, for a Research Assistant/Associate in the Department of Engineering, to work on Coherent Optical Access Networks, including both digital signal processing (DSP) and machine learning as part of the EPSRC projects “Platform Driving the Ultimate Connectivity (TITAN)” and “Transforming networks – building an intelligent optical infrastructure (TRANSNET)”.

The ideal candidate will possess expertise in sensorimotor control, motor learning, or sensory/motor brain plasticity of humans. We are relatively open-minded regarding the set of skills that the candidate will bring with them, however, candidates must have experience in designing, running, and analysing human studies, and an excellent publication track record. A typical candidates should have either advanced fMRI or MEG expertise (e.g. multivariate analysis, laminar 7T), or alternatively an impressive background in quantitative (computational) motor control, or expertise with advanced EMG (high density) and kinematics (markeless tracking) applications.

A Research Associate position is available immediately to develop electronic devices based on two dimensional semiconductors. The project will involve fabrication of state-of-the art devices using various two-dimensional materials and ultra-clean p- and n-type contacts.

Applicants must have expert knowledge of device physics, 2D semiconductors, fabrication of devices using electron beam lithography, low temperature electronic measurements using probe station and physical property measurement system. The experimental work to be undertaken will be: mechanical exfoliation of 2D semiconductors in a glove box, vertical stacking of different 2D materials with clean interfaces, making clean p- and n-type contacts on monolayered semiconductors, lithographic process and electrical measurements.

Applications are invited for a Biocurator to join PomBase, the model organism database for the fission yeast, Schizosaccharomyces pombe. The project’s aims are to manually curate and integrate molecular, genetic, biochemical and sequence data for fission yeast.

Applicants will have completed a PhD and have a background in biocuration and/or in yeast experimental biology, with a degree in Cell biology, Biochemistry, Genetics or a similar field. They should also have skills in data organization and basic bioinformatics and a passion for reading and interpreting original research. The applicant will need to have a broad understanding of eukaryotic cell biology. Experience in ontology use and/or editing would be an advantage.