Research Assistant/Associate [LKCMedicine]

The Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine) trains doctors who put patients at the centre of their exemplary care. The School, which offers both undergraduate and graduate programmes, is named after local philanthropist Tan Sri Dato Lee Kong Chian. Established in 2010 by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, in partnership with Imperial College London, LKCMedicine aims to be a model for innovative medical education and a centre for transformative research. The School’s primary clinical partner is the National Healthcare Group, a leader in public healthcare recognised for the quality of its medical expertise, facilities and teaching. The School is transitioning to an NTU medical school ahead of the 2028 successful conclusion of the NTU-Imperial partnership to set up a Joint Medical School. In August 2024, we welcomed our first intake of the NTU MBBS programme, that has been recently enhanced to include themes like precision medicine and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare, with an expanded scope in the medical humanities. Graduates from the five-year undergraduate medical degree programme will have a strong understanding of the scientific basis of medicine, with an emphasis on technology, data science and the humanities.

We are seeking accomplished and highly motivated Research Assistant/Associate to join an Industry Alignment Fund - Pre-Positioning (IAF-PP) grant-funded research programme in the laboratory of Assoc. Prof. Yen Choo at the LKC School of Medicine, Novena Campus, Nanyang Technological University (NTU). The research programme is focused on developing next-generation cell engineering technologies with applications in cell therapy, regenerative medicine and immunotherapy. The role sits at the interface of stem cell biology, genome engineering, and cell and gene therapies.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and perform experimental work in human stem cell and immune cell engineering projects

• Apply cutting edge molecular and cellular biology techniques, HTS screening, genome engineering, single cell cloning, to develop and optimise engineered cell systems

• Perform bioprocessing, cell-based assays, FACS, multi-omics and analytical workflows to assess genetic modification, transgene expression, cellular phenotyping and functional assays

• Generate high-quality experimental data, supervise junior research staff, maintain accurate documentation and report progress regularly

• Participate in project planning, reporting and collaborative research activities

• Contribute to publications, IP-related activities and translational outputs where appropriate

Required Qualifications & Skills

• Bachelor/Master degree in Stem Cell Biology, Molecular Biology, Synthetic Biology, Immunology, Bioengineering and at least 4 years work experience in one or more of:

  • Directed differentiation of pluripotent stem cells

  • Direct cell reprogramming, including derivation of iPSCs

  • Genome editing (e.g. CRISPR, recombinases, targeted integration systems)

  • Gene therapy, vector design, viral and/or non-viral gene expression systems

  • Control of transcription, gene regulatory networks

  • Synthetic biology, especially cell line engineering

  • Immunotherapy, especially CAR-T/NK/M or dendritic cell therapies

  • Diabetes, especially derivation of beta cells

  • Dermatology, especially skin models or organoids

• Experience in translational research or industry-facing research programmes

• Strong written and verbal communication skills

• Track record of first author publications in top tier journals