Senior Laboratory Research Scientist

Job Title: Senior Laboratory Research Scientist - transgenics engineering and animal care

Details of the role:

Reporting to: Vikram Chandra, Group leader

Working pattern
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This is a full-time, permanent position on Crick terms and conditions of employment

Salary: From £47,080 with benefits, subject to skills and experience

Final date to receive applications: 19th of of October 2026 at 23:59

About us

The Francis Crick Institute is Europe’s largest biomedical research institute under one roof. Our world-class scientists and staff collaborate on vital research to help prevent, diagnose and treat illnesses such as cancer, heart disease, infectious diseases and neurodegenerative conditions.

The Crick is a place for collaboration, innovation and exploration across many disciplines. A space where the brightest minds can pursue big and bold ideas and discover answers to crucial scientific questions. We support them in a dynamic environment which fosters excellence with state-of-the-art infrastructure, cutting-edge facilities, and a creative and curious culture. We’ve removed traditional boundaries of departments, divisions and disciplines and instead have an open approach that supports every researcher.

This gives us the freedom to take risks and carry out high-quality, pioneering research. Creating a space for discovery without boundaries helps us to turn our science into benefits for human health and the economy.

The Research Group

The Chandra lab studies the evolution of brains and behaviour, using acoels as a model to ask how diffuse nerve nets transitioned into centralised brains and to understand its consequences.

The lab has developed the acoel Hofstenia miamia as a new neuroscience model. Hofstenia has a unique 'diffuse brain' composed of undifferentiated tiles of circuits that interact to generate distributed computation. By studying Hofstenia in a comparative context, the lab aims to uncover the organising principles of diffuse brains and understand how the first animal brains evolved from ancient nerve nets.

Research combines a range of approaches to investigate neural architecture, circuit activity, computational function and behavioural control.

Find more about the Chandra lab here

About the role

We are seeking an innovative and highly motivated Senior Laboratory Research Scientist to join the Chandra Lab and play a leading role in advancing our research into brain evolution and function.

This position will involve leading a project focused on engineering transgenic lines in Hofstenia and potentially other acoel species, helping to establish and expand a cutting-edge experimental platform for investigating nervous system organisation, regeneration, and behaviour. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to contribute directly to pioneering discoveries in an emerging neuroscience model and shape the direction of a growing research programme.

In addition to driving transgenics based research, the postholder will be responsible for animal care and the maintenance of healthy acoel cultures, as well as supporting the day to day operation of the laboratory to ensure the smooth delivery of research activities. This is a varied and hands on role that combines scientific leadership, technical expertise, and laboratory management within a collaborative and intellectually stimulating environment.

The role offers an excellent opportunity for an ambitious scientist to develop new methodologies, contribute to high impact research, and help build novel experimental resources that will advance our understanding of how brains evolve.

What you will be doing:

You will have both transgenics research and lab…