Research Associate - Engineered Antiviral Resilience

Overview

The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world-class university.

We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more. Find out more about our benefits (opens in a new window) and join us to become part of something special.

We are seeking a highly motivated and talented Research Associate to join a multi-disciplinary research team at the University of Sheffield. This position is part of a high-impact, international collaboration aimed at developing a pan-viral prophylactic therapy against respiratory viral infections. This job is part of an Advanced Research + Invention Agency-funded project.

Traditional vaccines often struggle to keep pace with evolving viral variants. This project takes a novel approach by focusing on priming broader antiviral immunity. We aim to understand and program innate immunity within the nasal epithelium to develop a more durable and broad-spectrum intervention against infection and transmission.

As the successful candidate, you will be responsible for generating cellular models of the human upper respiratory tract, conducting viral infection studies and performing cellular characterisation using single-cell multiomic assays. Once identified, target cell states will be engineered using cutting edge methods, followed by evaluation of anti-viral efficacy.

This role offers a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of cell biology, virology, immunology and advanced single cell genomics. You will work within a supportive, world-class research environment, collaborating closely with partners in the USA and the Netherlands to translate fundamental biological insights into potential new therapeutics.

• Design and conduct laboratory experiments to achieve the projects aims. This will include establishing Air-Liquid Interface respiratory cultures using primary human nasal epithelial cells; controlled viral infection studies with Influenza virus, RSV, Rhinovirus and SARS-CoV-2; and single-cell multiomic assays (scRNA-seq and scATAC-seq).
• Work collaboratively with local and international team members to ensure alignment of experimental workflows and the timely achievement of technical milestones. This will include travelling to laboratories in the USA and The Netherlands.
• Prepare high-quality data for technical reports, presentations, and peer-reviewed publications.
• Proactively keep up to date with emerging trends in mucosal immunology, virology, and single-cell technologies.
• Assist in the day-to-day running of the laboratory, including supporting compliance with Health & Safety regulations, COSHH, Risk Assessments and Standard Operating Procedures.
• Carry out any other duties commensurate with the grade and remit of the post.

Our diverse community of staff and students recognises the unique abilities, backgrounds, and beliefs of all. We foster a culture where everyone feels they belong and is respected. Even if your past experience doesn t match perfectly with this role s criteria, your contribution is valuable, and we encourage you to apply. Please ensure that you reference the application criteria in the application statement when you apply.

Essential Or Desirable

Stage(s) assessed at Application

• Hold a PhD (or equivalent) in virology, immunology or equivalent field.
  Essential
• Extensive experience of viral culture and quantification Essential
• Extensive experience of cell culture Essential
• Ability to work independently in a laboratory environment, and to complete tasks independently and to a high standard.
  Essential
• Demonstrate ability and experience in the design and interpretation of laboratory experiments.
  Essential
• Ability to adhere to research protocols, maintain study deadlines and keep meticulous records of experiments undertaken.
  Essential
• Excellent academic track record including evidence of publications, prizes, and/or presentations at national/international conferences.
  Essential
• Effective communication skills, both written and verbal, report writing skills, experience of delivering presentations.
  Essential
• Track record of supervising PhD, MSc, or undergraduate students.
  Essential
• Ability to work constructively and effectively within multidisciplinary teams.
  Essential
• Experience of single cell sequencing assays.
  Desirable
• Experience of flow cytometry.
  Desirable
• Evidence of analysing next generation sequencing data.
  Desirable

Grade
Grade 7

Salary
£38,784 - £47,389

Work arrangement
Full-time

Duration
01 August 2026 for 48 months

Line manager
Principal Investigator

Our website

For informal enquiries about this job contact Dr Hannah Brown and Dr Nikki Smith, Project…