Are you looking to apply your skills in Biochemistry/Cell Biology to help gain a new molecular understanding of how proteins assemble into amyloid fibrils and help to develop new routes to understand the molecular origins of memory formation and memory loss in disease?

We are looking for a research fellow to join our well-established interdisciplinary team that is investigating how proteins aggregate into amyloid fibrils and cause disease. This Royal Society-funded post-doctoral fellowship aims to determine the mechanisms of amyloid formation in vitro and its effect on cellular homoestasis. You will focus on a range of contrasting proteins, one involved in neurodegeneration (a-synuclein (aSyn) associated with Parkinson’s disease), a functional amyloid (CPEB/Orb2, involved in the formation and storage of long-term memories), and a protein involved in systemic amyloid disease (IAPP, associated with type II diabetes). Specifically, you will use biochemical approaches to modify the structures of the protein aggregates and determine their effect on cellular function, using primary cells, cell lines and relevant tissues. In addition, you will investigate how small molecule modulators of amyloid formation that we have recently discovered affect the cellular consequences of amyloid formation. The outcome will be a transformation in our understanding of how amyloid fibrils create or destroy memory, and new opportunities to target the dynamic interactome of amyloid fibril assemblies for human benefit.

You will be based in the laboratory of Professor Sheena Radford. The work will be carried out also in collaboration with Professor Sue Deuchars and Professor Jim Deuchars (School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Leeds). You should have a PhD (or be close to completion) in Cell Biology, Neurobiology, Biochemistry, or a related discipline. You should have experience of protein biochemistry and in measuring cellular function and dysfunction using cell biology and other assays. You will also be able to gain experience and training in other methods as the project develops. Experience in working within the amyloid field or in neurobiology would be an advantage.

Further information about the project and our recent publications are available within the additional information document.

To explore the post further or for any queries you may have, please contact: 

Sheena E Radford, Astbury Professor of Biophysics

Tel: +44 (0)113 343 3170  |  Email: [email protected]