Overview
Postdoctoral Research Associate in Histology and Spatial Biology – INTERNAL ONLY – Strand, London, WC2R 2LS
THIS VACANCY IS OPEN TO INTERNAL CANDIDATES ONLY
About us:
The Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine is one of the largest and most successful centres for research and education in the UK. The Faculty was created because of the merger of elements of the School of Biomedical Sciences with the School of Medicine. The merger brings together basic, translational and clinical scientists to provide new cross-School research collaborations while optimising the deployment of teaching expertise across the faculty. The faculty has unparalleled expertise in basic, translational and clinical research in: analytical and forensic science; asthma and allergy; biophysics and cell biology; cancer; cardiovascular; nutrition and diabetes; genetics; infection and immunology; imaging and biomedical engineering; transplantation immunology; pharmaceutical science; physiology and women’s health. We also have thriving research programmes in global health, and health and social care. Further information about the Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine may be found at https://www.kcl.ac.uk/lsm/index.aspx
Within FoLSM, the School of Biomedical Engineering and Imaging Sciences is a cutting-edge research and teaching School dedicated to development, translation and clinical application within medical imaging and computational modelling technologies. Our objective is to facilitate research and teaching guided by clinical questions and is aimed at novelty, understanding of physiology and pathophysiology as well as development of new diagnostic tools and therapies. In this way, basic science can be rapidly translated into clinical applications (and vice versa). The School consists of eight research departments: Cardiovascular Imaging, Cancer Imaging, Early Life Imaging, Imaging Chemistry & Biology, Biomedical Computing, Surgical & Interventional Engineering, Imaging Physics & Engineering and Digital Twins for Healthcare.
The Research Department of Imaging Chemistry and Biology comprises a group of ca. 50 scientific and clinical researchers who drive translational radiopharmaceutical development, theragnostics, nanotechnology, metallomics, immuno-imaging, metabolic imaging, functional cardiac imaging, radiobiology, and engineering solutions for GMP radiopharmaceutical production. Embedding highly innovative scientists alongside clinical staff in a hospital environment has offered an unparalleled opportunity for translational impact that is being realised across the world-leading research infrastructure.
About the role:
We are seeking a highly motivated and skilled scientist to develop and deliver advanced histology and spatial biology capabilities within a dynamic, multidisciplinary research environment at King’s College London. The successful candidate will bring deep expertise in tissue processing, digital pathology, spatial biology, and X-ray irradiation techniques to support translational research across cancer biology, radiochemistry, immunology, and molecular imaging. The candidate will also be expected to support preclinical research in radiation therapy and radiopharmaceutical development.
This role offers a unique opportunity to establish a state-of-the-art histology and spatial biology capability within the Department of Imaging Chemistry & Biology. The post holder will work as part of a collaborative team of chemists, radiochemists, molecular biologists, and imaging scientists, contributing to both internal and external research efforts, including partnerships with industry.
Key responsibilities include:
• Supporting the setup and ongoing management of histology facilities, including paraffin and cryo-embedding of tissues across all organ systems.
• Designing and conducting spatial biology studies, including immunofluorescence multiplexing, digital image analysis, and pathway generation.
• Designing and conducting cancer therapeutics related in-vitro and in-vivo studies.
• Providing technical and scientific oversight for small animal X-ray irradiation studies, ensuring safe and effective use of equipment and study design.
• Training and supporting researchers and collaborators in histology, digital pathology, and imaging techniques.
• Contributing to grant applications, collaborative research outputs, enhancing infrastructure, and the development of a sustainable histology service portfolio for King’s College London.
This is a full time post (35 Hours per week), and you will be offered a fixed term contract for 6 months.
About you:
To be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience:
Essential criteria:
- PhD in Molecular Biology, Immunology, Cancer Biology, Radiobiology, or Toxicology.
- Demonstrated expertise in histological staining and tissue processing (paraffin and cryo-embedded samples).
- Advanced knowledge of antibody titration, digital pathology (including scanning and analysis), and confocal microscopy.
- Proven ability to manage and operate small animal X-ray irradiators**,** with experience in designing and analysing preclinical irradiation studies.
- Working knowledge of preclinical in vitro and/or in vivo validation techniques.
- Expertise in multiplex immunofluorescence, spatial biology marker detection, and immune cell profiling.
- Strong interpersonal skills, with a collaborative mindset and experience working across multidisciplinary teams including external partners and industry.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to maintain detailed records and contribute to publication-quality reports.
Desirable criteria
- Experience in conducting in-vivo and in-vitro experimental studies and developing study plans.
- Familiarity with RNA scope or spatial transcriptomics technologies.
- Knowledge in the design of imaging probe validation experiments using a combination of in vivo, and in vitro.
Downloading a copy of our Job Description
Full details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the next page after you click “Apply Now”. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.
* Please note that this is a PhD level role but candidates who have submitted their thesis and are awaiting award of their PhDs will be considered. In these circumstances the appointment will be made at Grade 5, spine point 30 with the title of Research Assistant. Upon confirmation of the award of the PhD, the job title will become Research Associate and the salary will increase to Grade 6.
We pride ourselves on being inclusive and welcoming. We embrace diversity and want everyone to feel that they belong and are connected to others in our community.
We are committed to working with our staff and unions on these and other issues, to continue to support our people and to develop a diverse and inclusive culture at King’s.
We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the advert. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.
To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our ‘How we Recruit’ pages.
