Job Description

Ref Number

B02-09274

Professional Expertise

Research and Research Support

Department

School of Life & Medical Sciences (B02)

Location

London

Working Pattern

Full time

Salary

54,931-64,644

Contract Type

Fixed-term

Working Type

On site

Available for Secondment

No

Closing Date

05-Sep-2025

About us

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Cancer Research UK (CRUK)

have awarded funding to renew the

UCL-Edinburgh CRUK Glioma Brain Tumour Centre of Excellence (CoE)

. The CoE features an ambitious research programme to develop a deeper understanding of the fundamental biology of glioma and harness this knowledge to drive new translational approaches to improve patient outcomes. The CoE's core themes are:


Pre-disease biology: understand how glioma is initiated from neural stem and progenitor cells.

Tumour promotion: delineate how incipient glioma clones interact with the microenvironment, with a focus on injury programmes and neuroinflammation as key drivers of progression.

Therapy resistance: define the nature of persister cells that survive immediately after treatment to identify targetable vulnerabilities.

Therapeutic intervention: deploy multidisciplinary identify and prioritise new treatment strategies emerging from the Centre's scientific discoveries


The CoE brings together researchers from

University College London and The University of Edinburgh

to advance UK brain tumour research. Key pillars of the CoE are dissemination of state-of-the-art preclinical models to accelerate scientific discover, deployment of multidisciplinary approaches to explore new scientific frontiers and therapeutic intervention, capacity building and training of the next generation of glioma researchers in the UK. In its second quinquennium, this interdisciplinary and collaborative network will support ground-breaking research, the development innovative therapies, diagnostics and stratification strategies in addition to providing a clinical and translational pipeline for discovery science in glioma. The London partners will also work closely with University College London Hospitals and Queen Square.

About the role

------------------

CRUK Glioma Brain Tumour Centre of Excellence (CoE)

We are recruiting for two Senior Research Fellow roles as part of the CRUK Glioma Centre of Excellence Transition initiative.

We are seeking transition fellows with a strong publication track record to join the CRUK Glioma CoE. The successful candidates will develop an independent programme of research, relevant to the themes of the CoE. Fellows will be expected to apply for independent research funding supported by existing research programmes on brain tumours. They will receive a generous consumables budget and priority access to CoE infrastructure, including preclinical models, and will be supported by a variety of mentoring schemes.



The post-holder will be based in the UCL Cancer Institute, the hub for cancer research at University College London, one of the World's leading universities. The Institute draws together over 300 talented scientists who are working together to translate research discoveries into developing better, more effective treatments to improve outcomes for cancer patients.



The post holder will have access to exceptional research support and facilities including advanced imaging, FACS, animal facilities, proteomics, genomics, single cell and spatial technologies, pathology, state of the art preclinical models and high-performance computing facilities.

Applications should include a CV, a Cover Letter and a 1 to 2-page research vision:

In the Cover Letter please provide evidence of the essential and desirable criteria in the Person Specification part of the . (By including a Cover Letter, you can leave blank the 'Why you have applied for this role' field in the application form, which is limited in the number of characters it will allow.)



This post is funded for 3 years, with a probationary period of 9 months.

About you

-------------


The successful candidate will have a PhD degree in a relevant subject area (e.g. biology, neuroscience, biomedicine, cancer biology) and have successfully carried out a period of postdoctoral training. They should also have a proven publication record. Excellent organizational and record-keeping skills are essential.



Applicants must have experience in presenting complex scientific concepts and content both in writing and verbally. They will show a strong commitment to improving outcomes for glioma patients and demonstrate excellent collaborative interpersonal skills with an ability to work co-operatively in a multidisciplinary setting.



The post-holder will be expected to have the ability to assist other members of the CoE, supervise MSc and PhD students, as well as collaborate with external research groups.

What we offer

-----------------


As well as the exciting opportunities this role presents we also offer some great benefits some of which are below:


41 Days holiday (including 27 days annual leave 8 bank holiday and 6 closure days) Defined benefit career average revalued earnings pension scheme (CARE) Cycle to work scheme and season ticket loan On-Site nursery On-site gym Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption pay Employee assistance programme: Staff Support Service Discounted medical insurance

Please visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/rewards-and-benefits to find out more.

Our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

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As London's Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world's talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.



We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL's workforce.



These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.



You can read more about our commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion here: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/equality-diversity-inclusion/