Research Fellow (109970-1224)

For informal enquiries, please contact Orkun Soyer (Professor) at o.soyer@warwick.ac.uk.

There is funding to appoint a Research Fellow for up to 36 months.  The duration may need to be shortened up to a maximum of 35 months depending on the starting salary of the successful candidate.  Appointments are subject to approval from the Leverhulme Trust.

We are looking to hire a postdoctoral researcher to work on a Leverhulme Trust funded project within the research group of Dr. Orkun Soyer. This project is a collaboration between Soyer’s group at the University of Warwick and Prof. Wenying Shou at the University College London. The overall aim of the project is to understand the role of metabolic co-substrates (and in particular NADH) in the regulation of the respiration – fermentation flux switch. Our work combines mathematical modelling and experimentation in yeast and this post will focus on the experimental work at the single-cell level.

Candidates should have a background in quantitative biology, cell biology, biochemistry, biophysics, engineering, or microbial physiology. Candidates should have experience in one or multiple of the key quantitative techniques such as fluorescent microscopy, image analysis, microfluidics, metabolomics, and transcriptomics. They should have experience in working with yeast or more broadly in cell culture and in experiment design and conduct. Ideal candidates should be familiar with any one or multiple of these, or similar, techniques.

KEYWORDS:  – [quantitative biology, cell metabolism, system dynamics, fluorescent microscopy, cell physiology]

What scientific question will you investigate?  / Outline of the project aims

This project will focus on the respiration-fermentation switch seen across microbial and mammalian cells, including cancer cells. The regulatory basis of this switch remains elusive. With this project, we will specifically test predictions from our ongoing mathematical modelling work, where we focus on the role of co-substrate dynamics – particularly NADH dynamics – in regulating fluxes at metabolic branch points.

About the research group

Soyer group at the University of Warwick works in the broad field of quantitative biology, with a focus on cell metabolism and metabolic interactions among cells. Further information is found on the group website: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/lifesci/research/osslab/

As part of the Soyer group, the candidate will become part of a vibrant quantitative biology community at Warwick and benefit from excellent facilities. This includes a two-photon microscope with lifetime capability that will be heavily used for this project, as well as -omics, microfluidics, and robotics facilities.

We and the wider University of Warwick environment offer substantial opportunities for professional development including regular opportunities to attend international conferences.

We are looking for someone with expertise in quantitative biology, cell biology, biochemistry or biophysics, with PhD level qualification. We also welcome applications from people with PhD in related field of microbial physiology and synthetic biology. Applicants should be proficient in key techniques that will be applied in this project, including cell culture, microfluidics, fluorescent microscopy, and metabolomics and transcriptomics.

For further information regarding the skills required for this role please see the personal specification section of the attached job description.

If you are near submission or have recently submitted your PhD but have not yet had it conferred, any offers of employment will be made as Research Assistant at the top of level 5 of the University grade structure. Upon receipt of evidence of the successful award of your PhD, you will be promoted to Research Fellow on the first point of level 6 of the University grade structure. 

School of Life Sciences

For further information about the School of Life Sciences please see our website at http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/lifesci

We believe that collegiality, openness, inclusivity and diversity are essential for an excellent environment; this ethic has enabled us to gain an Athena SWAN Silver award.  We are dedicated to building a diverse and inclusive workplace, so if you are excited by this role, we encourage you to apply, even if your past experience does not match exactly.  We also encourage applications from all groups with protected characteristics.

Born in the 60s with a mindset of boldness, imagination and collaboration, the University of Warwick is a world-leading research-intensive university with the highest academic and research standards. We’re one of the world’s top universities, ranked 67th in the world and 10th in the UK*, with 92% of our research assessed to be ‘world leading or internationally excellent’**. 

You'll be joining a diverse, innovative and globally connected community committed to igniting real world progress. Here at Warwick, we offer you opportunities to follow your ambitions as long as you bring the energy and determination to succeed.

*QS World University Rankings 2024

** Research Excellence Framework 2021

To find out more about us visit our website.

CLOSING DATE: Wednesday 01 January 2025 at 11.55pm

To apply, please click ‘Apply’ below and submit an application form by the closing date. Please plan for any potential delays as you will not be able to submit an application past this deadline (even if you opened the form at, say, 11.30pm).

Please attach a CV and cover letter.

• Your CV should include your most recent employment experience, any other relevant experience, and education history.
• Your cover letter must detail how you meet each of the essential criteria found in the Job Description document below (desirable criteria too, where possible).

This information will be used in the shortlisting process and without this evidence we may not be able to shortlist your application.

Please note that if you do not evidence the essential requirements we may not be able to shortlist your application.

In your application, you can also include any career breaks you may have taken (e.g. parental/caring/long-term sick leave, part-time work, secondments) or any periods where you were unable or restricted to work because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Please see here for guidance on writing a cover letter. We highly recommend using individual criteria as headers and giving examples below, though you are free to format the letter as you wish.

To streamline our hiring processes, we can only accept applications via our official website, warwick-careers.tal.net.

Interview Date: TBC 09/10 January 2025 

Start Date: TBC

We will provide you with a great range of benefits, which include an attractive pension scheme, 30 days holiday plus Christmas closure, excellent learning and development opportunities, and savings on a wide range of products and services. We offer a generous maternity/paternity/adoption/parental leave policy, and onsite childcare facilities. 

We recognise the importance of a healthy work/life balance and offer you access to flexible working, for more information click here. 

We are proud to say that we are a Living Wage employer.

If you are considering relocating to the UK, read our Relocation Guide to find out more about what Warwick has to offer and what might be involved in the process.

Warwick is committed to building an organisation of mutual respect and dignity, promoting a welcoming, diverse, and inclusive working and learning environment.  We recognise that everyone is different in a variety of visible and non-visible ways, and that those differences are to be recognised, respected, and valued.  Where possible, we go beyond legislation to provide a place where everyone can thrive, supporting all staff to achieve their full potential. We aspire to remove economic, social, and cultural barriers that may otherwise prevent people from succeeding. 

We therefore welcome and encourage applications from all communities regardless of culture, background, age, disability, sex/gender, gender identity or expression, ethnicity, religion/belief, or sexual or romantic orientation. To find out more about our social inclusion work at Warwick visit our webpages here. 

The University currently holds a Race Equality Charter Bronze Award, Athena Swan Sliver Award and a Disability Smart Bronze Award. The University of Warwick is also one of the six founder institutions of the EUTOPIA European University Alliance. 

Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS)

The University of Warwick is committed to safeguarding and promoting the wellfare of all those we work with. 

In line with the DBS Code of Practice, the successful candidates for any roles involving regulated activity, will be subject to a DBS check at the appropriate level. The University will take all neccessary measures to ensure that any individual subject to a barring order does not undertake any work with the barred group specified (ie. children and/or adults).

We expect all employees, volunteers, and partners to share our commitment to safeguarding.

Rehibilitation of Ex-Offenders

The University undertakes not to discriminate against anyone who makes a disclosure relating to a conviction. The information disclosed at application stage is only visible to the central DBS team (ie. not recruiting managers) to ensure there is no bias during the shortlisting process.