Research Fellow (109982-1224)

For informal enquiries, please contact Munehiro Asally (Associate Professor - Reader) at m.asally@warwick.ac.uk.

Research Fellow (FA6)

Fixed term Contract / Full-time / 36.5 hours per week funded by Leverhulme Trust. 

Funding has been awarded to recruit a PDRA on FA6/SP33 for 36 months; the duration may need to be reduced up to a max 34.5 months depending on the starting salary of the successful candidate and appointment is subject to approval from the Trust.

Project title: Bioelectrochemical synapse-like communication in bacteria  

KEYWORDS:  – Physics of Life, Bioelectricity, Biophysics, Electrophysiology, Microbiology

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

Bioelectrical signalling, once thought to be unique to nerve and muscle cells, is widespread throughout living systems, including bacteria. However, bacterial electrical signalling is still only scarcely studies. The aim of this project is to elucidate the novel bioelectrochemical cell-cell communication in Bacillus subtilis, advancing our understanding of bacterial electrophysiology and electrical signalling. In particular, this project explore the potential synapse-like electrochemical signalling in bacteria. 

We invite applications from candidates with research experience in quantitative biology, biophysics, electrophysiology or microbial physiology. Candidates should have experience in fluorescence microscopy and image analysis. Ideal candidate should be familiar with biophysics and electrophysiology.

About the research group

You will join the Asally group in the School of Life Sciences at Warwick University. We are a diverse group of interdisciplinary scientists who study bacterial electrophysiology, collective dynamics and engineering biology. The project will be conducted in collaboration with Prof Nicolas Dale, Ted Pridgeon Professor in Neuroscience. 

For more information about the lab, please visit https://asallylab.com

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

You will be embeded in a vibrant quantitaive biology research community at Warwick. We have state-of-art facilities including fluorescence lifetime Imaging Microscopy and Imaging Flow Cytometry.

We are looking for someone with expertise in Physics of Life, Cell Physiology, Biophysics, or Electrophysiology. We also welcome applications from people with Microbial Physiology and Engineering Biology. Applicants should be proficient in key techniques that will be applied in this project, including fluorescence microscopy and image analysis.

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: Sunday 26 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 February 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.