The School of Life Sciences at the University of Dundee is a world-class academic institution with a reputation for the excellence of its research, its high-quality teaching and student experience, and the strong impact of its activities outside academia. With 900 staff from over 60 countries worldwide the School provides a dynamic, multi-national, collegiate and diverse environment with state-of-the-art laboratory, technology and teaching facilities.

We are inviting applications for a Postdoctoral Research Fellow to work in the lab of Jin Rui Liang at the Medical Research Council Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit (MRC PPU).

The Liang lab is interested in understanding the fundamental pathways and mechanisms that regulate endoplasmic reticulum-specific autophagy, or ER-phagy (Liang et al. TCB, 2022;). The ER is tightly controlled by many sophisticated quality control pathways, including the ER-associated degradation (ERAD) and unfolded protein response (UPR) pathways. In recent years, it has been shown that damaged or superfluous ER can also be specifically degraded via ER-phagy (Liang et al. Cell, 2020; Liang et al. JCB, 2018). Clinical mutations of ER-phagy regulators are associated with pathologies such as neurodevelopmental defects, pancreatic stress, and cancer. Our recent genome-wide CRISPR screening data suggest that several oncogenes could also drive ER-phagy, suggesting that ER-phagy might mediate cancer progression. Please visit the Liang lab website (https://www.ppu.mrc.ac.uk/research/principal-investigator/jin-rui-amos-liang) for more information.

The successful applicant will be working on characterising the signalling pathway and mechanistic contribution of ER-phagy toward cancer progression. This project is funded by a Cancer Research UK grant awarded recently to the lab. The position will be available for a year with a possibility for a 4-year extension upon review.

Summary of Skills, Experience and Qualifications
Candidates will be expected to have a strong knowledge of fundamental cell biology and cancer biology. In particular, a background in;

• protein and organelle quality control
• autophagy, and
• transcriptional regulations are desirable.

Candidates will also need to demonstrate a track record of research productivity and have demonstrated an ability to work independently, enthusiasm for research, and excellent verbal and written communication skills. The successful candidate will employ a highly multidisciplinary approach, with techniques including:

• CRISPR-based genetic manipulations,
• quantitative proteomics,
• high-resolution and live-cell imaging,
• mass spectrometry, and
• transcriptomics

to address exciting questions about the mechanisms and function of ER-phagy during cancer progression. Therefore, expertise in one or more of these areas will be highly desirable.

Appointment as a Postdoctoral Research Assistant on the Grade 7 salary scale is dependent upon you having been awarded a PhD. An appointment may be considered if you are shortly expected to be awarded a PhD. In this case, the initial appointment would be made as a Research Assistant on the Training Grade 7 salary scale (Spinal Point 25 – 28).

Additional Information

We are one of the UK’s leading universities, internationally recognised for our expertise across a range of disciplines and research breakthroughs in multiple areas, including science, medicine and engineering, amongst many others. Conveniently located on the banks of the River Tay, our main city-centre campus is at the heart of Dundee - and up-and-coming, friendly, compact and affordable city with a rich heritage in design and technology. Just a short walk from the V&A Museum of Design Dundee, we're close to both the train and bus stations.

For further information about this position please contact Dr. Jin Rui Liang at JLiang001@dundee.ac.uk.

The diversity of our staff and students helps to make the University of Dundee a UK university of choice for undergraduate, postgraduate and distance learning. Family friendly policies, staff networks for BME, Disabled and LGBT staff, membership of Athena SWAN, the ECU Race Equality Charter and Stonewall as well a full range of disability services, create an enjoyable and inclusive place to work.