Postdoctoral Research Associate

UE07: £41,064-£48,822 per annum

CSE / School of Biological Sciences / Institute of Cell Biology

Full-Time: 35 hours per week

Fixed-Term: 12 months

The Opportunity:

We are seeking a highly motivated postdoc candidate to join the Swaffer lab and lead a major project addressing how cell size impacts cancer cell biology. While the significance of cell size for cellular physiology has been appreciated for many decades, we still have a surprisingly poor understanding of the mechanisms that couple the inner molecular workings of the cell to its size. Using mammalian cell lines as model systems, this project will take advantage of the quantitative and interdisciplinary expertise of the Swaffer lab to build on recent breakthrough discoveries regarding how transcription and cell size are coupled (Swaffer et al., Cell 2023).

View the full job description 

How to apply

Please include the following documents in your application:

- CV

- Cover letter

- Research statement (outlining the research direction you wish to pursue).

As a valued member of our team, you can expect: 

• A competitive salary. 
• An exciting, positive, creative, challenging and rewarding place to work. 
• To be part of a diverse and vibrant international community.
• Comprehensive Staff Benefits, including generous annual leave entitlement, a defined benefits pension scheme, a wide range of staff discounts, family-friendly initiatives, and flexible work options. Check out the full list on our staff benefits page (opens in a new tab) and use our reward calculator to discover the value of your pay and benefits. 

Championing equality, diversity, and inclusion

The University of Edinburgh holds a Silver Athena SWAN award in recognition of our commitment to advance gender equality in higher education. We are members of the Race Equality Charter, and we are also a Stonewall Proud Employer, actively promoting LGBTQ+ equality. 

We welcome applications from all qualified candidates and particularly encourage applications from underrepresented backgrounds.

Prior to any employment commencing with the University, you will be required to evidence your right to work in the UK. Further information is available on our right to work webpages (opens new browser tab)

On this occasion the University will not consider applicants requiring sponsorship for this role. International workers will therefore only be able to take up this role if they can demonstrate an alternative right to work in the UK.
 

Key dates to note

The closing date for applications is 26 August 2026.
 

Unless stated otherwise the closing time for applications is 11:59pm UK time. If you are applying outside the UK the closing time on our adverts automatically adjusts to your browsers local time zone. 
 

Interviews will be held late August / early September