Job Description

Position Details

Department of Inflammation and Ageing, School of Infection, Inflammation and Immunology, College of Medicine and Health


Location: University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham UK


Full time starting salary is normally in the range 36,636 to 46,049 with potential progression once in post to 48,822


As this vacancy has limited funding the maximum salary that can be offered is Grade 7, salary 36,636


Full Time, Fixed Term contract up to September 2028


Closing date: 25th August 2025

Background

We are seeking a talented and motivated post-doctoral researcher to join the Croft lab within the Rheumatology Research Group. The Research Fellow will be supervised by Professor Croft within the Department of Inflammation and Ageing at the University of Birmingham.


The successful candidate will work in translational immunology to deliver a specific project to understand the biology of lubricin and its role in fibroblast-macrophage crosstalk in lining layer of the synovium under healthy resting conditions. The researcher will use a combination of synovial tissue organoid systems and transgenic mouse models to delineate the role of the proteoglycan-4 (the gene that encodes lubricin) in joint homeostasis.


The successful candidate will work in close association with other lab-based scientists and computational biologists in the Croft lab as well as collaborators in Great Ormond Street Hospital and University College London.

Role Summary

Analyse and interpret research findings and support their publication Contribute to generating external funding Develop and make contributions to knowledge transfer, enterprise, business engagement, or similar activities at Department/School level or further within the University

Main Duties

The responsibilities may include some but not all of the responsibilities outlined below


Design and conduct bioinformatic data analysis pipelines under the guidance of the research supervisor to test the project hypotheses and complete project aims Develop research objectives, which may include proposals for further research, with assistance of a mentor if required Contribute to writing bids for research funding that enhance the work of the department Analyse and interpret data Apply knowledge in a way which develops new intellectual understanding Disseminate research findings for publication, research seminars etc Supervise students on research-related work and provide guidance to PhD students where appropriate to the discipline Contribute to developing new computational models, techniques and methods Undertake management/administration arising from research Contribute to Departmental/School research-related activities and research-related administration Contribute to enterprise, business development and/or public engagement activities of manifest benefit to the College and the University, often under supervision of a project leader Collect research data; this may be through a variety of research methods, such as scientific experimentation, literature reviews, and research interviews Present research outputs, including drafting academic publications or parts thereof, for example at seminars and as posters Provide guidance, as required, to support staff and any students who may be assisting with the research Deal with problems that may affect the achievement of research objectives and deadlines Promotes equality and values diversity acting as a role model and fostering an inclusive working culture

Person Specification

A First degree in Immunology A PhD (or near to completion) in Basic or Translational Immunology Background in synovial fibroblast and macrophage biology, ideally having studied lubrication biology in the joint Experience in molecular biology, computational immunology, bioinformatics and multi-dimensional imaging including light-sheet and 3D tissue imaging High level analytical capability Broad understanding of next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies and demonstration of proven experience in analysis of bulk and single cell transcriptomic data would be an advantage Ability to communicate complex information clearly Evidence of an ability to write to a standard required for research reports/publications Effective interpersonal and communication skills (e.g. ability to interact with project partners and explain complex ideas to non-bioinformaticians in an understandable way) Work in a heterogeneous environment of Clinicians, Biologists and Bioinformaticians Fluency in relevant models, techniques or methods and ability to contribute to developing new ones Demonstrate knowledge of bioinformatics resources such as annotation tools and databases Demonstrate proficiency in R/BioConductor and High Level (e.g. python) programming languages, Databases (SQL), development and maintaining code repositories (version control) Ability to assess resource requirements and use resources effectively Learn and keep abreast of latest technological, methodological and software developments Understanding of, and ability to contribute to, broader management/administration processes Contribute to the planning and organising of the research programme and/or specific research project Co-ordinate own work with others to avoid conflict or duplication of effort Knowledge of the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010, and how to actively ensure in day to day activity in own area that those with protected characteristics are treated equally and fairly

Further particulars can be found here


Informal enquiries to Lisa Powell, email: l.h.powell@bham.ac.uk

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