Postdoctoral Researcher Position at
UCL’s London Centre for Nanotechnology

We are pleased to announce a call for applications for a postdoctoral researcher to study the mechanics of epithelial cell monolayers in the laboratory of Dr Guillaume Charras.

Epithelia are amongst the simplest tissues in the body. Yet, they play fundamental roles in adult tissues, where they act as physical and mechanical barriers to separate the internal environment from the external environment, and in development, when the intrinsic forces they generate drive morphogenesis. Despite their clear mechanical role, little is known about monolayer mechanics. The goal of this project is to bridge the gap between molecular, cellular, and tissue-scales to understand the biological determinants of epithelial mechanics and how mechanical failure of monolayered tissues occurs. The project will utilise custom-built mechanical testing tools together with molecular cell biology techniques, live cell imaging, computational modelling and quantitative data analysis. This work will be carried out in close collaboration with the laboratory of Dr Alexandre Kabla, Cambridge. This BBSRC-funded project builds on previous work by members of the team (Harris AR et al, PNAS, 2012; Kuipers DK et al, J Cell Sci, 2014; Harris et al, J Cell Sci, 2014). Work will be carried out both at the London Centre for Nanotechnology (www.london-nano.com ) and the University of Cambridge.

The successful candidate will be an exceptional, highly-motivated and independent scientist with a PhD degree and a strong research track record in a relevant area of the life sciences or physical sciences, as well as experience at working within an interdisciplinary team. Experience of biophysics, microscopy, and programming is desired. Additional experience in molecular cell biology, mechanical testing, and computational modelling will be an advantage. The position will be for three years starting on the 1st of December 2014. Appointment will be made with a salary in the range of £33,353-40,313 per year inclusive of London allowance and dependent on experience.

Interested applicants should email a cover letter, application form, CV and the names of two referees to Denise Ottley (d.ottley@ucl.ac.uk). Informal inquiries about the position and project should be directed to Dr Guillaume Charras (g.charras@ucl.ac.uk) who will be supervising the research.

The official posting can be found at:
https://atsv7.wcn.co.uk/search_engine/jobs.cgi?owner=5041178&ownertype=fair&jcode=1434639

A link to the Job description and Person Specification can be found at:
https://filesv7.wcn.co.uk/admin/fairs/apptrack/download.cgi?SID=b3duZXI9NTA0MTE3OCZvd25lcnR5cGU9ZmFpciZkb2NfdHlwZT12YWMmZG9jX2lkPTM0NjQyMCZ2ZXJpZnk9ODkzNWQ0NDNiYWY5NmU3MzY2MjcxZGVhZDZhMjdlOTgmcmVxc2lnPTE0MTEwMzQwNzgtMzY5YjI4ZmJmOWZkYzQ2MzhmNGI3Nzk2NjI3YTgxNjA5MTlmNzYyMg==

Application forms can be downloaded from: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/hr/docs/download_forms/job_app.doc.

Further details can be seen at http://www.london-nano.ucl.ac.uk/content/lcncareers

Taking Action for Equality
The closing date for applications is 9th of October 2014.