Research Assistant; RA; Schistosomiasis Drug Discovery

We are seeking to appoint a highly motivated Research Assistant (RA) to join an energetic and enthusiastic team of investigators working on a new project, ‘Accelerating pre-clinical drug discovery for schistosomiasis’, funded by Wellcome. This is a collaborative project built upon the interdisciplinary expertise of Aberystwyth University, University of Dundee and UT Southwestern Medical Center. The research programme is structured across two milestones and the funding for Milestone 2 will be confirmed by the external sponsor following the successful completion of Milestone 1 (31 December 2027).

With at least 240 million people suffering from schistosomiasis, a neglected infectious disease caused by parasitic trematode worms of the genus Schistosoma and with no vaccine near clinical deployment, the cornerstone of schistosomiasis control is predominantly facilitated by just one singe chemotherapeutic agent, praziquantel (PZQ). PZQ, however, is ineffectual against juvenile worms and, with its increased use in mass administration programs, increased resistance to the treatment is a major concern.

Consequently, this Wellcome project aims to develop and apply the most advanced tools to increase drug discovery efficiency and make these available to the international NTD drug discovery community. To achieve morbidity control and elimination, new effective treatment options are required. This project aims to accelerate the progression of new chemical entities (NCEs) towards clinical candidate selection and the project team will combine phenotypic and target-based drug discovery to accelerate the drug discovery process.

To make an informal enquiry, please contact Professor Karl

F. Hoffmann ()

Successful applicants may be subject to a satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service Check(DSBC) check.

Appointments are normally made within 4 - 8 weeks of the closing date.

The appointed Research Assistant (RA) will be based in the Hoffmann Research Laboratory at Aberystwyth University and will be required to support the AU Lead PI in the delivery of the project aims, both to time and to budget.

The appointed RA will be required to work alongside the Senior Scientist, Post-doctoral Research Assistants (PDRAs) and other RAs to support the lab in maintaining the Schistosoma mansoni lifecycle, culturing parasites, generating cell lysates and genetically validating/localising putative targets. The post-holder will be required to operate the Roboworm Platform and other associated laboratory equipment and will be responsible for; preparation of compounds for use on the screening platform, running the screening process and collecting and collating output data.

The post-holder will be supervised by the Senior Scientist and will, in turn, be required to support and supervise undergraduate and postgraduate students. The RA will also, where required, support in the Group’s wider research, including the maintenance of eukaryotic cell lines, production of data for publication in high quality journals and assist in general day-to-day maintenance and operation of the laboratory and animal-housing facilities.

Hours will predominantly be worked during Monday – Friday, however, occasional evening or weekend work may be required.

Main Duties & Responsibilities

• To assist in the day-to-day operation and maintenance of the parasitology laboratories and animal housing facilities.
• To perform molecular biology experiments routinely.
• To undertake work on animal (mouse) efficacy studies (drug formulation, oral dosing, blood from tail veins for DMPK, etc) using our schistosome/mouse model.
• To undertake ordering of lab consumables and supplies, monitor spend against a budget and receive and check goods deliveries and ensure…