Research Associate in Bioengineering

An exciting and fully funded Research Associate position is available for an outstanding, ambitious candidate to join the Domingos Group at the Henry Royce Institute, University of Manchester. The successful candidate will work on an industry-funded programme, focusing on the development of decellularised tissue constructs and hybrid biomaterial systems for wound healing and musculoskeletal repair applications.

• Perform physicochemical, histological, mechanical, and structural characterisation of decellularised tissue membranes and hybrid constructs supplied by industrial partner
• Conduct biological validation across dermal and tendon repair models, including fibroblast, keratinocyte, tenocyte, and tendon-derived cell viability, proliferation, attachment, and migration assessments
• Execute in vitro wound healing assays including scratch assay and transwell migration studies to evaluate wound closure kinetics and re‑epithelialisation potential
• Assess tenogenic differentiation including gene expression profiling of tendon‑specific markers and collagen fibril alignment analysis
• Perform ECM proteomic profiling and pro‑tenogenic secretome analysis across construct systems

The successful candidate will be embedded within a highly collaborative and multidisciplinary research environment at the interface of biomaterials science, cell biology, proteomics, and translational bioengineering.

We encourage applications from individuals with a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. You should demonstrate:

• PhD (or near completion) in biomaterials, biomedical engineering, tissue engineering, materials science, or a closely related discipline
• Hands‑on experience in mammalian cell culture, including primary cells or established cell lines relevant to dermal or musculoskeletal biology
• Demonstrated experience in biomaterials characterisation including mechanical testing, rheology, and spectroscopic methods
• Practical experience with histological techniques (e.g. H&E, Masson’s trichrome, immunostaining)
• Experience with cell viability assays, proliferation assays, and migration assays (scratch assay, transwell)

• Experience with decellularisation techniques or characterisation of extracellular matrix scaffolds
• Familiarity with ECM proteomic analysis, including sample preparation for mass spectrometry
• Experience with tenogenic or dermal fibroblast differentiation models
• Track record of peer‑reviewed publications and/or conference presentations

• Generous employer contribution pension
• 29 days annual leave plus bank holidays, along with Christmas closure
• Ride to work and EV car scheme available