• Duration of post: 3 year position

The Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute (www.cruk.manchester.ac.uk), an Institute of The University of Manchester (www.manchester.ac.uk), is a world-leading centre for excellence in cancer research. The Institute is core funded by Cancer Research UK (www.cancerresearchuk.org), the largest independent cancer research organisation in the world. We are adjacent to The Christie NHS Foundation Trust (www.christie.nhs.uk), one of the largest cancer treatment centres in Europe. These factors combine to provide an exceptional environment in which to pursue basic, translational and clinical research programmes.

The overall goal of the Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology Group (CEP) led by Prof Caroline Dive is to develop repeatable blood tests that facilitate the optimisation of cancer patient treatment - personalised medicine. In this regard, CEP is an acknowledged world leader in blood borne biomarkers including the study of circulating tumour cells (CTCs) in lung cancer patients were under the guidance of CEP deputy group leader Dr Ged Brady, we are able to isolate single CTCs from patients’ blood samples and derive their genomic profiles utilising next generation sequencing (Hodgkinson et al Nature Medicine, June 2014). CEP is also a member of the pan European CANCER-ID consortium of over 30 industrial and academic participants which is aiming to validate technologies for Circulating Tumour Cells (CTCs), circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA), circulating free micro RNAs (cfmiRNAs) and exosome-bound miRNA as blood-based biomarkers.

An exciting opportunity now presents for a postdoctoral scientist to join CEP in order to develop, verify and apply cutting edge cell enrichment and sensitive molecular biology methods to patient blood samples with the ultimate aim of improving patient treatment. The successful post holder will join the nucleic acids biomarker (NAB) group and will be engaged in a range of molecular biology approaches including next generation sequencing which are suitable for highly sensitive blood biomarker analysis and single CTC characterisation.

The CRUK Manchester Institute has outstanding laboratory facilities and exceptional core services, including next generation sequencing, microarrays, confocal microscopy, bioinformatics, histology and mass-spectrometry. 

We are situated in Manchester, England, a vibrant and dynamic city that is surrounded by beautiful countryside and has excellent transport links both nationally and internationally.

The successful candidate will have a PhD in biological sciences or a related subject and will possess proven experience in nucleic acids based analysis as well as a keen interest in cancer cell biology. Additional experience working on NGS projects; application of bioinformatics and knowledge of the principles of good clinical practice for laboratories (GCP-L) will confer an advantage.

Informal enquiries to Dr Ged Brady email: ged.brady@cruk.manchester.ac.uk or Prof Caroline Dive via email: caroline.dive@cruk.mancheter.ac.uk.

To apply for this position please click on the apply button below.

For applicants who are unable to download this information from our website, please contact HR department on 0161 446 3231, email: jobs@cruk.manchester.ac.uk to have this information sent by post.