Ref Number
B02-10975
Professional Expertise
Research and Research Support
Department
School of Life & Medical Sciences (B02)
Location
London
Working Pattern
Full time
Salary
See advert text
Contract Type
Fixed-term
Working Type
On site
Available for Secondment
No
Closing Date
11-Aug-2026
This Research Fellow post will be based in the MacDonald group at the Institute of Ophthalmology, which explores the role of glial dysregulation in the ageing retina. The post offers an exciting opportunity for someone to play a key role in exploring fundamentals of the ageing nervous system and establish killifish as the preeminent model organism to study ageing while being part of a highly successful and dynamic research and teaching Institute, as well as benefiting from the opportunities afforded by being part of the larger financial and administrative community of the Faculty of Brain Sciences, School of Life and Medical Sciences and University College London (UCL).
The appointee will form part of a team whose primary research focus is on fundamental mechanisms of glial biology in the ageing retina. The post holder will perform in vivo experiments with a strong focus on retinal molecular and cellular transcriptional dysregulation in the rapidly ageing killifish retina.
This post is available from 01/10/2026 and is funded until 30/09/2027 in the first instance
Salary will be on UCL grade 7, Point 32 (£46,261 per annum, inclusive of London Allowance)
Applicants close to submission of their PhD will also be considered. Appointment as a Research Fellow at Grade 7 is dependent upon having been awarded a PhD. If this is not the case, an initial appointment will be made as a Research Assistant at Grade 6b (£39,807 -£41,833) with payment at Grade 7 backdated upon award of a PhD to the date of final submission of the PhD thesis (with corrections)
The successful candidate will have a PhD in Cell/Molecular/Developmental Biology, Neuroscience, Biochemistry, or another related discipline.
Previous experience of working in a relevant field of biological research, particularly neuroscience or developmental biology in the vertebrate retina is essential as is experience in killifish husbandry and genetic engineering experience in killifish.
The successful candidate will demonstrate the ability to communicate and collaborate and will have excellent organisational skills with the ability to manage and effectively prioritise their own variable workload.
Application Process
If you have any queries regarding the vacancy please contact Dr Ryan MacDonald ([email protected])
If you have any queries regarding the application process please contact [email protected].
A job description and person specification can be accessed at the bottom of this page.
To apply for the vacancy please click on the 'Apply Now' button below.
Please ensure you attach your CV and highest academic qualification. In addition, please ensure you provide a personal statement outlining how you meet the criteria to support your application. Please do not attach any research papers.
Working with some of the greatest intellects in the world, UCL also offers a generous pension scheme and holiday allowance, plus closure and bank holidays as well as enhanced parental pay and more. Visit https://www.ucl.ac.uk/work-at-ucl/reward-and-benefits to find out more.
As London’s Global University, we know diversity fosters creativity and innovation, and we want our community to represent the diversity of the world’s talent. We are committed to equality of opportunity, to being fair and inclusive, and to being a place where we all belong.
We therefore particularly encourage applications from candidates who are likely to be underrepresented in UCL’s workforce. These include people from Black, Asian and ethnic minority backgrounds; disabled people; LGBTQI+ people; and for our Grade 9 and 10 roles, women.
Our department holds an Athena SWAN Silver award, in recognition of our commitment and demonstrable impact in advancing gender equality.
