Post-doctoral Scientist

University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Post-doctoral Scientist

The closing date is 06 April 2026

UCLH Charities are funding the start-up of a pioneering ageing research centre within the Department of Ageing, Rheumatology and Regenerative Medicine, Division of Medicine, UCL. Dr Priya Subramanian, Consultant Dermatologist and Principal Investigator, leads the arm of human basic science research bridging dermatology, cancer biology and ageing, with a focus on how loss of p16, a key regulator of senescence, drives both tumour initiation and immune dysfunction

Main duties of the job

The postholder will work alongside Dr Subramanian to deliver research aims and objectives detailed in a recently awarded British Skin Foundation (BSF) grant. This project aims to both understand disease-specific impacts of mutated p16, and mechanistically understand the impact of p16 on human senescence, with relevance to the fields of cancer biology, senescence and ageing research. We will characterise immune and senescence-associated changes in CDKN2A-mutated human melanocytes and T cells using a unique, well-phenotyped biobank of skin and blood samples. We will apply multiplexed histology, high-parameter flow cytometry and in vitro co-culture models to: 1) define senescence and immune escape phenotypes of CDKN2A-mutated melanocytes under physiological and induced stress conditions; 2) identify alterations in circulating T cells that compromise melanoma immunosurveillance; and 3) test the cytotoxic capacity of autologous T cells against CDKN2A-mutated human melanocytes in vitro.

The post is for 18 months

About us

University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (UCLH) is one of the most complex NHS trusts in the UK, serving a large and diverse population. We provide academically led acute and specialist services, to people from the local area, from throughout the United Kingdom and overseas. Our vision is to deliver top-quality patient care, excellent education, and world-class research.

We provide first-class acute and specialist services across eight sites:

• University College Hospital (incorporating the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Wing)
• National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery
• Royal National ENT and Eastman Dental Hospitals
• University College Hospital Grafton Way Building
• Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine
• University College Hospital Macmillan Cancer Centre
• The Hospital for Tropical Diseases
• University College Hospital at Westmoreland Street

We are dedicated to the diagnosis and treatment of many complex illnesses. UCLH specialises in women's health and the treatment of cancer, infection, neurological,gastrointestinaland oral disease. It has world class support services including critical care, imaging, nuclearmedicineandpathology.

Weare committed to sustainability and have pledged to become a carbon net zero health service, embedding sustainable practice throughout UCLH. We have set an ambitious target of net zero for our direct emissions by 2031 and indirect emissions by 2040.

Job responsibilities

For the full Person Specification and more information regarding the main responsibilities of this role, please refer to the attached Job Description.

Come and be a part of the best NHS trust in England to work for, according to our staff

UCLH top trust to work at in England - In the most recent NHS staff survey UCLH had the highest percentage of staff who said they would recommend us as a place to work, out of all general acute or acute/community NHS trusts in England for the third year in a row.

UCLH recognises the benefits of flexible working for staff To find out more, visit: Flexible working.

To discover more about what makes UCLH a great place to work, visit: Why Choose UCLH?

Person Specification Knowledge and Qualifications

• PhD in a relevant subject area

Experience

• Previous experience of performing experiments with human samples
• Experience teaching and training staff and students
• Experience of preparing manuscripts for publications

Communication

• Demonstrates awareness of the importance of working as part of a collaborative and multi-disciplinary team.
• Communicates effectively verbally, in writing and in electronic formats
• Able to effectively communicate experimental concepts, data and results verbally, in writing and in electronic formats

Skills and Abilities

• Specific experimental skills in histology, flow cytometry, and cell culture
• Demonstrates ability to prioritise workload and work to deadlines
• Acts on own initiative and problem-solves utilising resources available
• Demonstrates understanding of laboratory-based health and safety principles
• Demonstrates understanding of budgetary management
• Self-motivated and enthusiastic individual
• High degree of flexibility and initiative; ability to ask for advice where needed
• Demonstrates evidence of professional and personal development
• Experimental skills in Western blot, cytometric bead array, and qPCR
• Bioinformatics analysis of datasets

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

£46,419 to £55,046 a yearper annum inclusive of HCAS