We seek to appoint an enthusiastic, motivated immunology postdoctoral fellow with top of the range knowledge and ability and demonstrated aptitude in cardiovascular sciences. The successful candidate will join the dynamic Cardiology research group within the Faculty of Medicine, headed by Professor Dana Dawson.
This is a 5-year post, funded through a British Heart Foundation Program Grant to explore the unique mechanistic patho-physiology of the strongest psycho-somatic interaction known in medicine. Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (or ‘broken heart syndrome’) is an acute cardiac emergency which predominantly affects women (90%) and is triggered by a precipitant episode of stress. Despite non-obstructed coronary arteries there is severe heart dysfunction, and although the heart function ‘normalises’ shortly afterwards, these patients have reduced long-term survival. Although stress is on the rise for everyone, only a minority develop takotsubo cardiomyopathy for any given stress. This implies that affected individuals have an intrinsic predisposition or exposure susceptibility. This programme of research will investigate candidate pathophysiological mechanisms of susceptibility in takotsubo cardiomyopathy. Specifically, the work of the appointee will focus on (1) the activation of innate and adaptive immunity as a substrate to myocardial and systemic inflammation; (2) the co-engagement of thrombo-inflammation leading to a pro-thrombotic state in the microcirculation.
The appointee will be part of a translational team and work closely with immunology, thrombosis/fibrinolysis, bioinformatics and clinical colleagues. It is hoped that together, the group will provide the leap of science required to understand the full pathway in which this newly described disease triggers and unfolds.
The Fellow will work to define the innate and adaptive immune responses in acute, convalescent and recovered takotsubo patients. The immunology team on this project are Professor Heather Wilson, Dr. Michael Morgan (Aberdeen) and Professor Marinos Kallikourdis (Milan). The post holder will be required to develop new thrombosis and fibrinolysis knowledge to explore how thrombo-inflammation underpins the condition. For this collaboration the post-holder will work closely with the team led by Professor Nicola Mutch. The post would be particularly suited to an individual with strong collaborative skills and a passion for translational projects.
Salary will be at the appropriate point on the Grade 6 scale, £38,784 - £46,049 per annum, pro rata and negotiable with placement according to qualifications and experience.
Informal enquiries should be made to Professor Dana Dawson ([email protected]).
Prior to employment, the successful candidate must be able to demonstrate their right to work in the UK. This role may be eligible for sponsorship under the Skilled Worker route under the UKVI immigration rules but is dependent on factors specific to the candidate and if tradeable points can be used under the rules.
Information on other visa options available at https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa.
Please contact Grant Rae, HR Adviser ([email protected]) for further information.
To apply online for this position visit www.abdn.ac.uk/jobs
Job Reference Number: IMS336R
The closing date for the receipt of applications is 8 October 2026
If you are unable to complete an application online, please contact the Recruitment Team ([email protected]) to make alternative arrangements for submitting your application within plenty of time before the advertised post closes.
