Postdoctoral Training Scientist

MRC Postdoctoral Research Scientist in Senescence and Inflammation (LMS 2364)

Salary: £42,694 plus London allowance (£5,560) per annum. Additional allowances comprise a £1,000 lump sum Settlement Allowance plus a yearly Training Allowance of £850 in the first year, paid in monthly installments. The Training Allowance increases to £1,300 in year two and £1,800 in year three.

Contract: 3 years fixed term Full time Location: Hammersmith London Closing Date: 3 June 2026

Overall purpose

The senescence group has a long-standing interest in studying senescence. We have contributed to understanding the role of senescence as a tumour suppressor mechanism (Collado et al. Nature 2005), in limiting iPSC reprogramming (Banito et al. Genes Dev 2009) or activating immune surveillance (Kang et al. Nature 2011). We have also contributed to identifying molecular mechanisms controlling senescence (Gil et al. Nat Cell Biol 2004; Tordella et al. Genes Dev 2016) and the inflammatory phenotype associated with senescence (Acosta et al. Cell 2008; Acosta et al. Nat Cell Biol 2013; Herranz et al. Nat Cell Biol 2015; Georgilis et al. Cancer Cell 2018). We are also interested in identifying strategies to target senescent cells to treat multiple diseases, including cancer (Guerrero et al. Nat Metabolism 2019; Guerrero et al. Aging Cell 2020; Guerrero et al. Nat Aging 2022; McHugh et al. Nat Cell Biol 2023; D'Ambrosio et al. Nat Cell Biol 2026). More recently, we have investigated the relationship between senescence and immune cells (Haston et al. Cancer Cell 2023) and how we can harness it for therapeutic benefit (Reen et al. Sci Adv 2025).

Following that, the successful candidate will work on a project attempting to unveil how metabolic and other signals control inflammatory processes and SASP production in senescent cells.

Responsibilities

• Experience with immunology.
• Strong background in cell biology.
• Working knowledge of bioinformatics and analysis of complex datasets.
• Experience with fluorescent microscopy.
• Ability to conduct research in accordance with the project.
• Actively contribute to the smooth running of the laboratory in coordination with other group members.
• Form a good working relationship with other group members and actively participate in team work.
• Design and carry out scientific experiments in accordance with group projects.
• Analyse, manage and communicate data, ensuring the validity and reliability of the data at all times.
• Generate reagents for the group projects.
• Maintain organised and accurate records of experimental data.
• Actively participate in the group's research meetings and other research meetings related to the project.
• Any other duties deemed reasonable by Head of Group.

Education and Qualifications

Essential:

• A PhD (or equivalent experience) in a Life Science or Biomedical discipline.
• Being first author of at least three research papers already published.

Desirable:

• Experience with lentiviral or retroviral expression systems.

Knowledge and Experience

Essential:

• Experience in molecular biology (cloning, PCR, IF, IHC, etc.).
• Experience in cell biology.
• Experience in immunology and inflammation.
• Excellent written communication skills in English and the ability to write clearly for publication.

Personal Skills and Qualities

• Excellent laboratory skills.
• Excellent organisational skills.
• Excellent attention to detail.
• Excellent creativity.
• High motivation and perseverance.
• Prepared to work unsociable hours as required.
• Adaptability to changing schedules or work patterns.
• Ability to work under pressure while maintaining a high degree of accuracy.
• Proven ability to prioritise, plan ahead and manage a high volume of work to meet deadlines.
• Ability to use own initiative and work independently and as part of a team.
• Problem solving abilities.
• Proven multitasking abilities.
• Ability to work in a collaborative research environment.
• Willingness to give and receive help with challenging problems.
• Excellent verbal communication skills in English, with the ability to communicate science clearly.
• Good interpersonal skills.
• Willingness to share knowledge and transfer skills to other members of the group on a daily basis.

Additional Information

Applicants must submit a CV, names and contacts of two scientific references along with a cover letter stating why you are applying for this role (providing evidence against the requirements of the job as per the job description and person specification). Applications without a cover letter will not be accepted.

Please quote reference number LMS2364.

Please note that applications may be reviewed by both LMS and Imperial staff.