Research Assistant at UCL; B02-11210

The University College London (UCL) Department of Kidney Medicine and Bladder Health is based at the Royal Free Hospital, combining world-leading immunology research in autoimmune kidney disease with access to clinical samples for rare diseases. The Institute of Immunity & Transplantation (IIT), based in the Pears Building on the Royal Free Hospital campus, brings together more than 20 world-class immunology research groups working at the forefront of translational immunology.

The candidate for this post will benefit from an outstanding interface between fundamental science and clinical medicine. This post is funded by a Wellcome Trust Early-Career Award held by Dr Marilina Antonelou, Consultant Nephrologist and Clinical Research Fellow, based within the Division of Medicine  Antonelou's programme investigates how neutrophils drive B-cell dysfunction in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and lupus nephritis, working under the sponsorship of Professor Claudia Mauri (Professor of Immunology, UCL) and in collaboration with Professor Antonella Spinazzola (mitochondrial biology), Dr Joseph Ng(bioinformatics) and Professor David Thomas (redox proteomics, University of Cambridge).

We are seeking a motivated Research Assistant to join Dr Antonelou's research programme investigating multiomic neutrophil–B-cell immunometabolic crosstalk in autoimmune kidney disease, using lupus nephritis as a disease model. Lupus nephritis is a severe manifestation of SLE that often progresses to kidney failure despite current immunosuppression, and this project aims to define how neutrophil-derived mitochondrial DNA reprogrammes B-cell metabolism and differentiation, with the ultimate goal of identifying new therapeutic targets.

The post-holder will play a central role in the day-to-day delivery of this multiomic project, generating and processing samples from a longitudinal cohort of lupus nephritis patients (pre- and post-rituximab) and healthy controls.

• Multispectral (spectral) flow cytometry of neutrophils and B-cell subsets — the post-holder should already have hands‑on experience in this technique
• Lipidomic and metabolic assays (mitochondrial ROS, NADPH/redox balance, cholesterol trafficking)
• Proteomics, including LC-MS/MS analyses performed in collaboration with the Thomas lab (Cambridge)
• Single-cell RNA sequencing (10x Genomics Chromium GEM-X Flex) with surface‑protein barcoding of paired neutrophils and B-cells
• Spatial protein profiling of renal biopsies from patients with lupus nephritis, using the MACSima high‑plex imaging platform

Reporting to Dr Marilina Antonelou, the post-holder will:

• Liaise with clinical teams in the lupus/vasculitis clinics and renal wards to identify and recruit eligible patients, and coordinate timely collection of blood and surplus renal biopsy tissue
• Process and cryopreserve neutrophils, PBMCs and B‑cells from patient and healthy donor blood samples following standard operating procedures
• Perform multispectral flow cytometry immunophenotyping of neutrophil and B‑cell subsets, including panel design support, compensation/spectral unmixing, and data analysis
• Set up and support neutrophil–B‑cell co‑culture and functional assays (e.g. NET isolation, mitochondrial/cytosolic ROS assays, cytokine ELISAs)
• Prepare samples for scRNA‑seq (10x Genomics) and coordinate workflows with UCL's core sequencing facility
• Support MACSima spatial proteomic staining and imaging of renal biopsy sections, working with the Institute's imaging facility
• Maintain accurate, audit‑ready records of sample acquisition, clinical metadata, freezer/liquid‑nitrogen storage logs and laboratory stocks
• Ensure compliance with Good Clinical Practice, the Human Tissue Act, UK GDPR and the study's…