The role

We are looking for an enthusiastic and skilled researcher to work on a genetic epidemiology research project investigating whether adiponectin prevents the development of kidney disease, via the glycocalyx that lines the filtering blood vessels in the kidney. This is a 14-month Research Associate position, joining a 3-year position 22 months after completion, working in the Bristol Renal group on a Kidney Research UK funded project.

There are three main goals:

• The relationship between circulating adiponectin and glycocalyx depth measurements will be examined
• The causal relationship between adiponectin proliferation in diabetic kidney disease (DKD) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) will be explored.
• The causal relationship between circulating adiponectin levels and albuminuria, and whether circulating matrix metalloproteinases (glycocalyx enzymes) mediate this effect will be explored.

The project will involve the use of large population datasets and consortia (e.g., the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children)http://www.bristol.ac.uk/alspac/researchers/our-data/), UK Biobank), genetic techniques (eg, Mendelian randomisation) and observational epidemiology. This project is mostly based on epidemiology, although there is the opportunity to work in vitro/ex vivo on tissue and cell lines.

The post holder will be supported by a supervision team providing training and supervision as required:

• Dr. Rebecca Foster, associate professor of microvascular medicine
• Dr Emma Vincent, Professor of Molecular Metabolism
• Dr Matthew Butler, Clinical Scientist at the Medical Research Center and Senior Clinical Lecturer
• Professor Gavin Welsh, Professor of Cell Biology
• Professor Simon Satchell, Professor of Nephrology and Vascular Medicine

What will you do?

You will be responsible for running this research project including designing and conducting experiments, analyzing data and presenting research findings in different settings, under the support and guidance of the supervisory team.

You will work with big data including bioinformatics data, epidemiological data including the Avon Longitudinal Study of Children in the 1990s (ALSPAC), the UK Biobank and other publicly available datasets.

You will be part of the thriving research community at Bristol Kidney and the wider Bristol Cardiovascular community under the umbrella of the Bristol Heart Institute.

There is an expectation that the mail carrier will prepare manuscripts for publication in high-impact journals.

You must apply then

You have a desire to join a large, friendly research group and take advantage of opportunities to develop a career in kidney research and gain relevant academic skills.

A PhD or equivalent qualification in a relevant field is essential, as is a proven track record in laboratory discovery research.

Experience working with big data and performing statistical analysis is required, experience in kidney/diabetes research and/or glycobiology is highly desirable, as is experience with the technologies required for this project.

The ability to work independently and as part of a team is essential. The applicant must have excellent critical thinking skills and organizational skills.

Additional information

For informal inquiries about the role, please contact either:

Professor Simon Satchell, Professor of Nephrology and Vascular Medicine, scsatchell@bristol.ac.uk

Dr Stanley Buffong, Bristol Futures Research Development Fellow, stanley.buffonge@bristol.ac.uk