Research Associate in Cell Culture Screening of Proteins and Nanomaterials
Requirements
Applicants must hold or be near completion of a PhD in Biomedical Engineering, Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, or a closely related field. Expertise in mammalian cell culture, specifically primary neurons, and experience with microfluidic assay development are essential.
Job Description
Grade UE07: £41,064 - £48,822 per annum
College of Science and Engineering / School of Engineering
Full-time: 35 hours per week
Fixed-term: for up to 24 months
Where curiosity becomes impact
With roles from hospitality to research, there’s a career for everyone at the University of Edinburgh. We can offer opportunities for you to develop in your career and make a real difference in the communities around us while contributing to the world at large.
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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.
Join a world-leading research community at the University of Edinburgh, where ambitious interdisciplinary research is translated into new approaches to major scientific and societal challenges.
The Opportunity:
Develop next-generation magnetic nanoparticle technologies for drug delivery to the CNS. This is an academic research role.
The School of Engineering seeks to appoint a Postdoctoral Research Associate in Cell Culture Screening of Proteins and Nanomaterials to contribute to an Advanced Research + Invention Agency (ARIA)-funded project on targeted drug transport to the Central Nervous System (CNS). The post will be supervised by Prof Guangzhao Mao and will involve close collaboration with Prof Michael Chen and Dr Jamie Marland in the School of Engineering, Prof Giles Hardingham in the Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, and other ARIA project partners.
The successful candidate will develop and operate microfluidic platforms for mammalian cell culture and biological assay development, with a particular focus on primary neurons and applications in nanomaterial screening and CNS delivery. The role will combine mammalian cell culture, biological assays, fluorescence microscopy, and quantitative image and data analysis to investigate protein and nanoparticle movement within and across cells and nanomaterial-cell interactions relevant to the CNS.
Applicants should have, or be within three months of completing, a PhD in Biomedical Engineering, Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, or a closely related discipline. Expertise in mammalian cell culture, including primary neurons, biological assays, fluorescence microscopy and quantitative image/data analysis is particularly relevant. Knowledge of molecular and cellular neuroscience and experience or a strong interest in nanomaterial-cell interactions are also valuable.
We are looking for a motivated researcher with expertise in neuronal cell culture, microfluidic assay development and quantitative cellular analysis to join this collaborative ARIA-funded programme.
This post is full-time. The role is primarily laboratory-based on the University of Edinburgh campus.
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How to apply
Please include the following documents in your application:
- CV
- Cover letter
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 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 Stonewall Scotland Diversity Champions, actively promoting LGBT 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
The University may be able to sponsor the employment of international workers in this role. This will depend on a number of factors specific to the successful applicant.
Key dates to note
The closing date for applications is 5 October 2026.
Unless stated otherwise, the closing time for applications is 11:59 pm (UK time). If you are applying from outside the UK, the closing time shown on our adverts will automatically adjust to your browser’s local time zone.
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 School of Engineering addresses diverse complex challenges across the entire field of engineering, at the micro- and macro/global scales. At the microscopic scale, its research supports the design and deployment of novel nanotechnology and devices for biological monitoring and medical diagnosis; at the macro/global scale, it optimises the security and sustainability of the built environment and develops engineering solutions to climate change issues. In REF 2021 the joint submission from the University of Edinburgh and Heriot-Watt University to General Engineering was ranked 1st in Scotland and 3rd in the UK for quality and breadth of research. The ranking cited is based upon the breadth and quality of research which apply standard formula (as used by the Times Higher Education) to the REF 2021 results.
The School has a strong track record in producing more than 50 technology spin-outs and developing industry links that enable our graduates to build career-long relationships. Current research income in the School was c.£22.0M in 2020/21.