Salary: Research Assistant: £32,546 - £34,132 per annum Research Associate: £35,116 - £37,174 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: 13 April 2025 The Role This is an exciting opportunity to Join the Newcastle Cardiovascular team and contribute to research focussed on understanding the processes involved in causing heart attacks. This successful appointee will investigate the biology of endothelial cells in processes related to plaque erosion. It will combine analysis of patient-derived endothelial cells obtained from the clinic, with mechanistic studies under physiological and pathological flow that model the different blood flow patterns found in human coronary arteries. You will combine RNA sequencing, bioinformatics, pathway analysis and molecular biology techniques to investigate novel pathological mechanisms involved in the initiation of heart attacks. In addition, you may be required to assist with other projects within the lab, relating to cardiovascular pathology. You will analyse data and produce drafts of publications as well as give presentations on the findings to international conferences. You will have a high level of academic achievement, including a PhD or imminent award of a PhD, and proven scientific ability in cardiovascular research. An ability to work within a team is critical. The post is fixed for a period of 12 months. For informal enquiries contact Dr Stephen White: steve.white3newcastle.ac.uk Find out more about the Faculty of Medical Sciences here: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/ Find out more about our Research Institutes here: https://www.ncl.ac.uk/medical-sciences/research/institutes/ As part of our commitment to career development for research colleagues, the University has developed 3 levels of research role profiles. These profiles set out firstly the generic competences and responsibilities expected of role holders at each level and secondly the general qualifications and experiences needed for entry at a particular level. Please note that if you are successful to this role, you will require medical clearance before you can commence in the role. Key Accountabilities Although working under the general guidance of an academic or Principal Investigator, the postholder will contribute ideas, including enhancements to the technical or methodological aspects of their studies, thus providing substantial 'added value' Develop and carry out the specified project using appropriate techniques and equipment as outlined in the personal requirements Determine appropriate methodologies for research, with advice and support where required Contribute to grant applications submitted by others and in time develop own research objectives and proposals for funding Begin to write, with appropriate support, proposals for individual research funding or, where funders do not permit this, contribute to the writing of collective bids Assess research findings for the need/scope for further investigations Contribute to the writing up of their research for publication and 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 May be involved in the supervision, with guidance, of final year undergraduate research projects and in providing support to postgraduate research students or Research Assistants Will need to work with the support staff and, on occasions, with undergraduate and postgraduate students, and interact intellectually with other academic members of the Institute May contribute to events celebrating the public engagement of science/social sciences/humanities Develop an awareness of University structures, policies and procedures and relevant issues in the higher education, research, social and political environment Co-ordinate your own work with that of others Work to deadlines and with support, manage competing priorities Ensure that personal knowledge in relevant fields of study is kept up to date The Person (Essential) Knowledge, Skills and Experience Essential Ability to work well as part of a team and rapidly acquire new skills Detailed subject knowledge in cardiovascular biology Likelihood of advanced skills directly related to the research projects High level of analytical and problem-solving capability Ability to communicate complex information with clarity and to encourage the commitment of others Experience of research with clear transferable skills and some experience or awareness of the research environment Presentations at conferences and/or high-quality publications The ability to use personal initiative and creativity to solve research problems Excellent tissue culture skills Desirable RNA sequencing and bioinformatic pipelines, with strong analytical skills and use of statistics Experience of working with primary endothelial cells in culture, particularly under physiological or pathological flow environments Generation and safe use of gene overexpression and knockdown vectors/technologies and use of transcription factor reporters Publication record in the in the area of cardiovascular biology Attributes and Behaviour Collegiate Conscientious with meticulous attention to detail Self-motivated driven by a passion for science Qualifications A PhD in the cardiovascular biology or related discipline is required (Research Associate), or having completed a PhD with imminent degree award including a good honours degree (or equivalent) with some subject knowledge in the relevant area (Research Assistant) 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 silver 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: 27986