Postdoctoral Research Associate
Requirements
Applicants should have experience with Drosophila or C. elegans and confocal live imaging of in vivo efferocytosis using one of these models. They should be self-motivated, organized, goal-oriented, professional, and effective communicators and team members; knowledge of or motivation to learn mammalian models is also sought.
Job Description
Grade UE07: £41,064 - £48,822 per annum
School/Department: School of Regeneration and Repair / Centre for Inflammation Research
Full Time: 35 hours per week
Fixed term: 12-month contract
The Opportunity:
Where discovery never stops. Be part of something bigger.
Make a meaningful impact
Here, you can continue to make a difference in everything around you. Take on new challenges, grow your career, be recognised for your contributions, and benefit from our commitment to your wellbeing. Be part of something bigger — where your work has real impact and your development matters. There are so many reasons to take your next step with us.
The University of Edinburgh is a world-class organisation. We look for the best in the field across all disciplines and provide a working environment where academics can develop their careers and passion for their chosen subject area. We offer the full range of academic roles and have a genuine focus on our students’ performance and wellbeing.
We are looking for an inventive and enthusiastic postdoctoral researcher to work within the lab of Professor Will Wood at the University of Edinburgh. This represents a unique opportunity to be part of a multi-disciplinary team undertaking research in inflammation and innate immunity, utilising a powerful live imaging approach to understanding how efferocytosis regulates the fate and function of macrophages during health and disease. The post-holder will undertake research using Drosophila, but will interface with mammalian-focused PDRAs within the wider Cell Death group to enable rapid identification of the key, evolutionarily conserved mechanisms of efferocytosis and its consequences.
Your skills and attributes for success:
- Experience with Drosophila or C.elegans
- Experience with confocal live imaging of efferocytosis in vivo using either of the models above
- Self-motivated, professional, highly organized, and goal-oriented.
- Excellent ability to work within a bigger team and exceptional communication skills.
- Knowledge/interest in mammalian models or a motivation to learn.
Please address informal enquiries to Professor Will Wood (w.wood@ed.ac.uk).
A career with us has a range of other benefits that can be tailored to your lifestyle:
- Professional development and subject matter expertise
- Opportunities to develop new skills and broaden your experience
- Leading-edge research
- Opportunities for publication
This post is full-time (35 hours per week)
View the full job description(opens in a new browser tab)
How to apply
As part of this application, you are required to upload a cover letter/statement of not more than one page detailing how you meet each of the essential criteria as outlined on the job description and a CV. These items should be uploaded as one single combined document in either PDF or Word format.
As a valued member of our team, you can expect:
- A competitive salary.
- An exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to work.
- To be part of a diverse and vibrant international community.
- Comprehensive Staff Benefits, including generous annual leave entitlement, a defined benefits pension scheme, a wide range of staff discounts, family-friendly initiatives, and flexible work options. Check out the full list on our staff benefits page (opens in a new tab) and use our reward calculator to discover the value of your pay and benefits.
Championing equality, diversity, and inclusion
The University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. We are members of the Race Equality Charter, and we are also a Stonewall Proud Employer, actively promoting LGBTQ+ equality.
Prior to any employment commencing with the University, you will be required to evidence your right to work in the UK. Further information is available on our right to work webpages (opens new browser tab)
Key dates to note
The closing date for applications is 28 October 2026.
Unless stated otherwise the closing time for applications is 11:59pm GMT. If you are applying outside the UK the closing time on our adverts automatically adjusts to your browsers local time zone.
We anticipate that interviews will be held within 2-3 weeks of the advert closing date.
As a world-leading research-intensive University, we are here to address tomorrow’s greatest challenges. Between now and 2030 we will do that with a values-led approach to teaching, research and innovation, and through the strength of our relationships, both locally and globally.
The Centre for Inflammation Research (CIR) is a world-leading centre dedicated to understanding the mechanisms of inflammation and translating these insights into new therapies for inflammatory diseases. Part of The Institute for Regeneration and Repair (IRR), CIR brings together discovery science, clinical expertise, and cross-disciplinary innovation to improve human health across the lifespan.
Our mission is to transform the understanding and treatment of inflammation through cutting-edge research, inclusive collaboration, and impactful translation. By uniting discovery scientists, clinicians, chemists, engineers, and industry partners, we aim to develop innovative tools, therapies, and strategies that address pressing global health challenges.
Our research is structured across three interconnected themes - Infection and Immunity, Damage and Repair, and Experimental Medicine - providing a powerful framework for scientific collaboration and translational excellence.
Together, these themes investigate how inflammation starts, progresses, and resolves, and how it contributes to both health and disease. Through advanced experimental models, patient-focused research, and state-of-the-art technologies, we accelerate discovery and ensure our work leads to meaningful, real-world impact.
Centre for Inflammation Research website (https://inflammation-research.ed.ac.uk/) (opens in a new browser tab)
The Institute for Regeneration and Repair
The Institute for Regeneration and Repair (IRR) is cross-College with staff and students from the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine (CMVM) School of Regeneration and Repair (SRR) and the College of Science and Engineering (CSE), School of Biological Sciences and School of Chemistry. The School of Regeneration and Repair is one of six schools in CMVM.
At IRR our scientists and clinicians study tissue regeneration and repair to advance human health and reproductive outcomes. The Institute incorporates three leading research centres with a focus on regenerative medicine, inflammation and reproductive health. Our Director is Professor Stuart Forbes.
IRR has a 5-year income of over £200M and is a collaborative hub for commercial, clinical and academic endeavour. Based at Edinburgh BioQuarter we bring together world leading research expertise to drive understanding and deliver clinical and translational outcomes.
IRR has a work environment built on trust and encourages the very best talent from all backgrounds and at all levels to join us. A diverse team strengthens our ability to innovate and support cutting-edge world leading research. Supporting and empowering our team at all levels is central to our approach.
Our team is ambitious, acts with integrity and demonstrates commitment to progress and impact. We aim to achieve excellence in all that we do, always being principled, considerate and respectful.
Institute for Regeneration and Repair website (https://regeneration-repair.ed.ac.uk/ ) (opens in a new browser tab)