Research Associate in Host Immunity (FI/GSK)

Job description

About the role

Do you want to lead high-dimensional immunology research to tackle one of the world's important bacterial pathogens?

Staphylococcus aureus is a leading cause of life-threatening infection worldwide, yet current prevention and treatment strategies remain limited by a lack of defined human correlates of protection. As a Post-Doctoral Research Associate within Dr Dinesh Aggarwal's group, you will play a role in a controlled human infection study designed to address this need.

Working at the forefront of translational infection biology, you will lead the design, validation, and execution of advanced cellular and humoral immunology techniques. Your work will map local and systemic immune responses during this human challenge study; by analysing complex immunological datasets, you will help define correlates of protection to support vaccine and therapeutic development in the fight against Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), a mission of the Fleming Initiative.

What you would be doing

You will drive independent research within a multi-disciplinary team of clinicians, research nurses, microbiologists, and industry partners. Your responsibilities will include:

• Leading experimental pipelines including developing and validating advanced methods to evaluate host cellular and humoral immune responses following natural clinical infection and controlled human infection with aureus .
• Leading the bioinformatics integration and multivariate analysis of high-dimensional immunological data, ensuring reproducibility and driving technical innovation.
• Writing high-quality manuscripts for publication in leading peer-reviewed journals, presenting findings at national and international conferences, and preparing reports for grant sponsors.
• Providing day-to-day scientific supervision, training, and mentorship to PhD students, research technicians, and clinical fellows, while contributing to the safe operation of the laboratory.

What we are looking for

We are seeking an ambitious, highly motivated immunologist with a meticulous approach to laboratory science and a drive to become a future research leader. To succeed in this role, you will need:

• Educational Background: A PhD (or equivalent) in Immunology, Infection Biology, Immuno-pathology, or a closely related discipline (or imminent award of one).

*Candidates who have not yet been officially awarded their PhD will be appointed as a Research Assistant within the salary range £45,399 - £48,876 per annum.

• Research Productivity: Substantial postdoctoral or doctoral research experience in an academic or industrial immunology laboratory, supported by first-author publications in peer-reviewed journals and conference presentations.
• Technical Expertise: Extensive hands-on experience designing, running, and analysing high-parameter flow cytometry panels, developing and validating functional immunoassays with deep knowledge of human immunology and host-pathogen interactions.
• Analytical Capability: Strong working knowledge of biostatistics, multivariate analysis, and high-dimensional datasets.
• Leadership & Organisation: The ability to independently plan, prioritise, and troubleshoot complex research over 3- to 6-month horizon, and the ability and willingness to mentor and supervise PhD students and junior staff.
• Professional Standards: Excellent scientific writing and verbal communication skills to collaborate effectively across a multidisciplinary team. Working hours flexibility is required to accommodate clinical trial sampling timelines.

What we can offer you

• Impact: The chance to contribute to the Fleming Initiative, a transformative partnership tackling AMR through people-centred science.
• Mentorship: Work within Dr Dinesh Aggarwal's group, collaborating with the wider teams of Prof Chris Chiu, Prof Shiranee Sriskandan and Dr Malick Gibani, and external academic and industry partners.
• Growth: The opportunity to drive impactful research in a world-leading research environment, with access to Imperial's dedicated career support for researchers.
• Reward: A Sector-leading salary and remuneration package (including 41 days off a year and generous pension schemes).
• Culture: A diverse, inclusive and collaborative culture with staff networks and personal and professional wellbeing support

Further information

This is a full-time post. This role is for a fixed-term contract for 12 months in the first instance.

If you require any further details about the role, please contact: Dr Dinesh Aggarwal ([email protected]).