Research Assistant/ Associate in MSK Immunology & Data Science

Salary:

Research Assistant: £33,951 to £35,608 per annum

Research Associate: £36,636 to £46,049 per annum

Newcastle University is a great place to work, with excellent benefits. We have a generous holiday package; plus the opportunity to buy more, great pension schemes and a number of health and wellbeing initiatives to support you.

Closing Date: 4 October 2026

The Role

We are excited to launch this new opportunity for a Research Assistant/ Associate in Immunology & Data Science to join us in the Faculty of Medical Sciences.

You will join a diverse community of colleagues in the Musculoskeletal Disease and Inflammation Medicine Theme of the NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre. Contributing to our world-leading translational research programme. Based in the Willam Leech Building of Newcastle University’s Medical School, you will also benefit from interactions with researchers with interests in Immunity and Inflammation more generally from both clinical and scientific backgrounds. 

The mission of our group is to transform lives through world-leading research into immune-mediated musculoskeletal disease across the life course. As part of a team of >20 including five principal investigators, you will interact widely with our collaborators – including as part of the Arthritis UK-funded ARCADIA network, to deliver this goal.

The successful early career academic will have the opportunity to consolidate their experience in applied biomedical data science as a post-doctoral researcher in the field of human tissue immunology. We seek a highly motivated and appropriately experienced scientist to help deliver our goal of identifying tractable disease pathways for people with inflammatory arthritis that are currently under-served by existing treatment paradigms. You will apply your considerable experience in deploying advanced bioinformatics approaches to diverse tissue-derived datasets acquired from people with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases – with an emphasis on inflammatory arthritis. We are particularly keen to hear from those with a passion for collaboration and the ability to interact and engage with a diverse network of specialists.   For this focussed project we are looking for candidates with established and excellent bioinformatics skills, including proficiency with coding in R and Python environments and experience in the development/application of a broad range of computational tools/packages for analysing omics data.

The post is fixed term for a period of 12 months

For informal enquiries contact NIHR Newcastle BRC MIM Theme Co-Lead Dr Arthur G Pratt.

To apply, please upload an up-to-date CV and letter of application outlining specific examples around how you meet the requirements set out in ‘The Person’ section below.

As part of our commitment to career development for research colleagues, the University has developed 3 levels of Research Innovation Role Profiles.pdf.  These profiles set out firstly the generic competencies and responsibilities expected of role holders at each level and, secondly, the general qualifications and experiences needed for entry at a particular level.

Key Accountabilities

Research Assistant 

• Collect, analyse and interpret research data and draw conclusions on the outcomes


• Co-ordinate own work with that of others, use problem solving to affect the achievement of research objectives and contribute to the planning of the project(s)


• Present information on research progress and outcomes to a Principal Investigator or groups overseeing the research project


• Write up results from own research activity and provide input into the research project’s dissemination, in whatever form (report, papers, chapters, books)


• Use research resources (including, where required, laboratories, workshops and specialist equipment) as appropriate

In addition, for Research Associate 

• Contribute ideas, including enhancements to the technical or methodological aspects of the project


• Determine appropriate methodologies for research


• Assess research findings for the need/scope for further investigations


• Contribute to the writing up of the research and its dissemination, either through seminar and conference presentations or through publications


• Present research findings, either at conferences or through publications in reputable outlets appropriate to the discipline


• Contribute to grant applications submitted by others and develop own research objectives and proposals for funding

The Person

Knowledge, Skills and Experience 

Research Assistant 

• Detailed subject knowledge and experience in human immunology and computational biology, sufficient to enable prompt advancement of the project. This will include:
  
  
  
  • Familiarity with the analysis of scSeq datasets from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells and varied disaggregated tissues (e.g. synovium, gut, skin)
  
  
  • Excellent bioinformatics skills, including proficiency with coding in R and Python environments and experience in the development/application of a broad range of computational tools/packages for analysing omics data
  
  
  • Experience of data acquisition and analysis using the BD MACSima spatial proteomics platform
  
  
  • Experience in combining/harmonising multiple omics datasets
  
  
  
  

• Experience in processing and use of human clinical samples, including awareness of governance-related issues such as GDPR law / the Human Tissue Act


• Attention to detail and ability to work at high levels of accuracy


• Ability to present complex information effectively to a range of audiences


• Proven ability to analyse data and write-up results


• Experience of working collaboratively with colleagues


• Excellent IT skills in all major office applications


• The ability to use personal initiative and creativity to solve research problems

In addition, for Research Associate

• Deep knowledge of Rheumatology


• Evidence of an ability to innovate in computational biology, e.g. through development of novel code to address unmet analysis need(s)


• Awareness of the research environment


• High level of analytical and problem solving capacity


• Ability to communicate complex information with clarity


• Experience of presentations at conferences and/or in high quality publications

Attributes and Behaviour

• Commitment to working positively as a member of a multi-skilled research team


• Ability to negotiate and prioritise multiple, competing responsibilities and to work to deadlines


• Commitment to continued professional development


• Understanding of good practice in equality, inclusion and diversity

Qualifications

Research Assistant 

• A PhD (near completion) in immunology or rheumatology

Research Associate

• A PhD awarded in immunology or rheumatology

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.  As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society.  We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent.  We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a Gold Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality.  We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC.  We are a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer and interview scheme.

In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe. 

Requisition ID: 29730