Job ID: 121493
Research Fellow in Neuroscience
Position: Post-doctoral Position
Deadline: 15 January 2025
Employment Start Date: 1 March 2024
Contract Length: Fixed purpose contract, up to 3 years maximum
City: Dublin
Country: Ireland
Institution: Trinity College Dublin
Department: School of Biochemistry & Immunology
Description:
Post Summary
We are seeking a highly motivated and well-organised post-doctoral researcher with strong interests in neuroscience and inflammation to work on an exciting HRB-funded project on brain injury arising from systemic inflammation in humans and in a mouse model of systemic inflammation. The successful candidate will have a Ph.D. in Neuroimmunology or in related areas (neuroscience, immunology, physiology etc.). The current project will examine the impact of systemic inflammation, triggered by hip fracture in older patients or by the cytokine IL-1b in transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease and ageing. We will examine the impact of these insults on neuro-inflammatory, cognitive, metabolic and neurodegenerative processes. The post will involve working with human blood and cerebrospinal fluid samples and will use cellular, molecular, physiological, cognitive and histological approaches to studying neuroinflammation, metabolism and neurodegeneration in mice.
Standard Duties and Responsibilities of the Post
Performance of biochemical analysis of human blood and cerebrospinal fluid.
Performance of biochemical analysis of mouse blood and brain tissue.
Performance of surgical techniques relevant to inflammation and neuroscience (including stereotaxic surgery, cannulation and implementation of in vivo biosensor experiments).
Preparation and analysis of histological sections for immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence and microscopy.
Performance of behavioural experiments with mice.
Development of new techniques in the laboratory as may arise
Assistance with the management and supervision of students in the laboratory.
Preparation of reports, scientific manuscripts and oral presentations.
Qualifications
Essential Qualifications: Research Fellow must hold a Ph.D. in a relevant area of Neuroscience, Immunology and/or Physiology
Knowledge & Experience (Essential & Desirable)
The ideal candidate must have knowledge of neuroinflammation, neurodegeneration, innate immunity or psychoneuroimmunology and must have some laboratory experience of working in at least one of these areas. In addition, a good understanding of concepts and practice in neuroscience and/or innate immunity will be important to the post. Applicants must be competent in the use of standard word processing, data handling, image analysis, statistical and graphical software. The successful candidate should have already demonstrated research productivity, and critical/independent thinking during their post-graduate studies and/or early post-doctoral works.
The ideal candidate will have knowledge of neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration and experience of murine experimental neuropathology. Experience of working with mice is essential. Experience in standard biochemical techniques such as quantitative PCR, ELISA, western blotting is essential and additional experience in molecular biological techniques is desirable and competence to work with human blood and CSF would also be helpful. The proposed experiments involve stereotaxic injections, cannulation and biosensor experiments and experience in these techniques (with FELASA-approved training in animal experimentation) and/or electrophysiological or behavioural expertise would confer a strong advantage for applicants. However these are not all absolute requirements and some training will be given.
Please make applications and any enquiries about deadline and/or start date for the position directly to me at colm.cunningham@tcd.ie