Job Description

Salary

The starting salary will be from 42,882 to 52,565 on Grade F, depending on qualifications and experience.

Contractual hours

36.5

Package

Generous holiday allowances, flexible working, pension scheme and relocation package (if applicable).

Job category/type

Research

Date posted

20/05/2025

Job reference

Q00903

Faculty of Health and Life Sciences

This new full-time post is available from 1 October 2025 until 31 March 2028 on a fixed term basis.

The post

The Faculty of Health and Life Sciences wishes to recruit a Postdoctoral Research Fellow that will work in the group of Prof Stefano Pagliara and will participate in the project "Understanding stereochemical selection across proto-cellular membranes".



The overarching aim of this project is to investigate the biomechanics of membranes to understand whether the core lipids of primordial cellular membranes could provide stereochemical compound selection. This project is funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and will involve working in collaboration with Prof Thomas Richards, University of Oxford, Dr Juliano Morimoto, University of Aberdeen and Prof Mark Blaskovich, University of Queensland.



This post is available from the 1st of October 2025 or shortly thereafter on a three-year fixed-term contract. The successful applicant will have extensive expertise in biophysics.



During this project, the successful candidate will investigate the biomechanics of biological membranes and will measure the mechanical properties (including tension, fluidity, bending rigidity, area expansion modulus) of giant unilamellar vesicles made of different membrane lipid types during exposure to different metabolites.



These investigations will rely on the use of optical tweezers, force spectroscopy, vesicle electroformation instrumentation, microscopy and image analysis and will allow to reveal the impact of membranes biomechanics on permeability to metabolites, as well as determining whether the uptake of metabolites from the environment alters membranes biomechanical characteristics.

About you

The successful applicant will be able to develop new methodologies and research objectives, write high impact publications and make presentations at conferences and other events.



Applicants will possess a PhD in biophysics, physics, or engineering. The successful applicant will be a nationally recognised authority in biophysics and possess sufficient specialist knowledge in the discipline to develop research methodologies. The successful applicant will also be able to work collaboratively, supervise the work of others and act as team leader as required. Applicants will be able to use optical tweezers, force spectroscopy, microscopes and software for the programming of microscopes and related instrumentation, and ideally have prior expertise in the field of membrane transport and in the electroformation and characterisation of unilamellar lipid vesicles.

Please ensure you read the and Person Specification for full details of this role.

What we can offer you

Freedom (and the support) to pursue your intellectual interests and to work creatively across disciplines to produce internationally exciting research; Support teams that understand the University wide research and teaching goals and partner with our academics accordingly An Innovation, Impact and Business directorate that works closely with our academics providing specialist support for external engagement and development Our Exeter Academic initiative supporting high performing academics to achieve their potential and develop their career A multitude of staff benefits including sector leading benefits around maternity, adoption and shared parental leave (up to 26 weeks full pay), Paternity leave (up to 6 weeks full pay), and a Fertility Treatment Policy A beautiful campus set in the heart of stunning Devon.

The University of Exeter

We are a member of the prestigious Russell Group of research-intensive universities and in the top 200 universities in the world (Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024 and QS World University Ranking 2024). We combine world-class teaching with world-class research, achieving a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework Award 2023, underpinned by Gold ratings for Student Experience and Student Outcomes.



Our world-leading research impact has grown more than any other Russell Group university in recent years, and we are home to some of the world's most influential researchers, seeking to answer some of the most fundamental issues facing humankind today. More than 99 percent of our research is of international quality and 47 percent is world-leading (2021 Research Excellence Framework).



We encourage proactive engagement with industry, business and community partners to enhance the impact of research and education and improve the employability of our students. Read about our world leading research - Green Futures and how we are transforming education for a changing world. We are located in a beautiful part of the country and Exeter (a fast growing tech hub) is one of only a few UK cities to have been designated as a UNESCO Creative City

Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Commitment

We are committed to ensuring reasonable adjustments are available for interviews and workplaces.



Whilst all applicants will be judged on merit alone, we particularly welcome applications from groups currently underrepresented within our working community.



With over 30,000 students and 7,000 staff from 150 different countries we offer a diverse and engaging environment where our diversity is celebrated and valued as a major strength. We are committed to creating an inclusive culture where all members of our community are supported to thrive; where diverse voices are heard through our engagement with evidence-based charter frameworks for gender (Athena SWAN and Project Juno for Physics), race equality (Race Equality Charter Mark), LGBTQ+ inclusion (Stonewall Diversity Champion) and as a Disability Confident employer.



We are proud signatories of the Armed Forces Covenant and welcome applications from service people.

Further information

For further information please contact Prof Stefano Pagliara, e-mail s.pagliara@exeter.ac.uk or telephone (01392) 723171.



The closing date for completed applications is 31/07/2025. Interviews are expected to take place in September.