Postdoctoral Research Associate in Immunology

Organisation/Company KINGS COLLEGE LONDON Research Field Biological sciences Researcher Profile Recognised Researcher (R2) Established Researcher (R3) Application Deadline 2 Feb 2026 - 00:00 (UTC) Country United Kingdom Type of Contract Other Job Status Full-time Is the job funded through the EU Research Framework Programme? Not funded by a EU programme Is the Job related to staff position within a Research Infrastructure? No

About Us

We seek to appoint a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Immunology to join the lab of Professor Patricia Barral.

The Barral lab has strong expertise in Immunology and aims to understand how immune cells adapt to their environment and how in turn their influence health and disease. The successful candidate will combine preclinical models and patient derived samples to explore the metabolic regulation of macrophages in the context of breast cancer. We foster an inclusive and interdisciplinary culture, providing access to state of the art facilities, training opportunities, and a great network of collaborators. We are committed to support career development and encourage innovative thinking to tackle major challenges in Immunology.

About the role

We are seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Research Associate in Immunology to join our research team. The successful candidate will work on an exciting project exploring how lipid metabolism shapes immune cell identity and function. This role offers the opportunity to apply cutting edge techniques, to address fundamental questions in immunology. You will design and conduct experiments, analyse complex datasets, and contribute to high impact publications in a collaborative and supportive environment.

This project aims to combine preclinical models and patient derived samples to explore the metabolic regulation of macrophages in the context of breast cancer. As part of the project, you will develop sophisticated ex vivo and in vivo approaches to identify lipid metabolic pathways controlling macrophage functions and how these in turn regulate breast cancer progression and response to treatment.

This is a full time post (35 hours per week), and you will be offered a fixed term contract until 31st March 2029.

To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:

• PhD in Biological/Biomedical sciences
• Evidence of excellent research productivity - primary author in scientific publications and conference presentations
• Laboratory based experience in cellular and molecular Immunology techniques including cell culture, purification of primary cells, flow cytometry, qPCR, ELISA, etc
• Experience in in vivo animal models of disease and/or transgenic/KO related work
• Excellent communication and organizational skills- ability to communicate complex scientific concepts
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Experience with data analysis and interpretation
• Strong problem solving skills and ability to troubleshoot technical challenges

Please note that this is a PhD level role but candidates who have submitted their thesis and are awaiting award of their PhDs will be considered. In these circumstances the appointment will be made at Grade 5, spine point 30 with the title of Research Assistant. Upon confirmation of the award of the PhD, the job title will become Research Associate and the salary will increase to Grade 6.

• Experience working with human/patient derived tissues
• Knowledge of bioinformatics or computational analysis
• Evidence of successful collaboration in multidisciplinary projects

Downloading a copy of our Job Description

Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the page. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.

Further Information

At King's, we believe that the diversity of our community and a culture that is welcoming, open, inclusive and collaborative, are great strengths of the university.

The Equality Act of 2010 protects the rights of our students and staff and provides a framework to fulfil our duties to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and in addition, to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between those who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. At times, this will include balancing rights and beliefs that can feel in tension.

We are committed to free speech and academic freedom, believing that our foundational purpose as a university, is to create spaces where a wide range of ideas, including ideas that are controversial, can be discussed and debated, and where members of our community can express lawful views without fear of intimidation, harassment or discrimination.

When engaging in the robust exchange of ideas, we ask that our community is mindful of our Dignity at King's guidance.

We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the person specification section of the job description. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.

To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our 'How we Recruit ' pages.

Interviews are due to be held on Feb/March.

This post is subject to Occupational Health clearances.

Grade and Salary: £45,031 per annum, including London Weighting Allowance

Job ID: 135405

Close Date: 02-Feb-2026

Contact Person: Patricia Barral Catoira

Contact Details: