Research AssociateDepartment : Department of Inflammation BiologyAbout UsKing’s College London is a world leading research-intensive university. The Centre for Rheumatic Diseases, Department of Inflammation Biology, School of Immunology & Microbial Sciences, is looking to recruit an enthusiastic postdoctoral research associate to investigate chromatin conformation signatures in individuals at risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. This work is funded by Arthritis UK and follows on from a successful clinical trial, published in the Lancet, demonstrating that rheumatoid arthritis can be prevented by treating people at risk with immune modulatory therapy. The successful candidate will work with the King’s team on the Guy’s Campus in collaboration with partners at the Universities of Leeds, Birmingham and Glasgow, and with our biotechnology partner Oxford Biodynamics who have developed genome-wide and qPCR tools to detect changes in chromatin architecture.About The RoleThe successful candidate will undertake a laboratory-based research project aimed at understanding the mechanism whereby individuals at risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) progress to disease (Signatures of Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis: the SORIRA study). This will involve investigating cellular and molecular processes in immune cell subsets, including T-cells, that lead to changes in chromatin architecture at genomic loci likely to regulate the expression of immunologically important genes. This work will involve in vitro cell-based assays, protocols for T helper cell activation and differentiation, immune phenotyping and gene targeting approaches. In silico analyses, including using R studio and Python, will support this work. There will also be opportunities to study the relationship between genetic variants acquired from genome-wide association studies and genome wide changes in chromatin.  The successful candidate will also be expected to contribute to project management of the SORIRA study and its collaborations.This is a full-time post 35 hours per week, and you will be offered an  fixed term contract until 30th September 2030.Research staff at King’s are entitled to at least 10 days per year (pro-rata) for professional development. This entitlement, from the  Concordat to Support the Career Development of Researchers, applies to Postdocs, Research Assistants, Research and Teaching Technicians, Teaching Fellows and AEP equivalent up to and including grade 7. Visit the  Centre for Research Staff Development for more information.About YouTo be successful in this role, we are looking for candidates to have the following skills and experience: Essential criteriaA PhD in immunology, molecular biology, or other relevant subjectExperience in immune cell-based workExperience in immune phenotyping and flow cytometryExperience in basic molecular biology methods, including analysis of gene expressionDesirable criteriaPrevious experience in analysis of large genomic datasetsPrevious experience in gene targeting approachesPrevious experience in research relating to T cell immunobiologyExperience of coding in R studio and/or PythonPrevious experience in project managementDownloading a copy of our Job DescriptionFull details of the role and the skills, knowledge and experience required can be found in the Job Description document, provided at the bottom of the page. This document will provide information of what criteria will be assessed at each stage of the recruitment process.Please note that this is a PhD level role but candidates who have submitted their thesis and are awaiting award of their PhDs will be considered. In these circumstances the appointment will be made at Grade 5, spine point 30 with the title of Research Assistant. Upon confirmation of the award of the PhD, the job title will become Research Associate and the salary will increase to Grade 6.Further Information At King’s, we believe that the diversity of our community and a culture that is welcoming, open, inclusive and collaborative, are great strengths of the university.The Equality Act of 2010 protects the rights of our students and staff and provides a framework to fulfil our duties to eliminate unlawful discrimination, harassment and victimisation and in addition, to advance equality of opportunity and foster good relations between those who share a protected characteristic and those who do not. At times, this will include balancing rights and beliefs that can feel in tension.We are committed to free speech and to academic freedom, believing that our foundational purpose as a university, is to create spaces where a wide range of ideas, including ideas that are controversial, can be discussed and debated, and where members of our community can express lawful views without fear of intimidation, harassment or discrimination.When engaging in the robust exchange of ideas, we ask that our community is mindful of our Dignity at King’s guidance.We ask all candidates to submit a copy of their CV, and a supporting statement, detailing how they meet the essential criteria listed in the person specification section of the job description. If we receive a strong field of candidates, we may use the desirable criteria to choose our final shortlist, so please include your evidence against these where possible.Artificial intelligence (AI) is evolving rapidly, and we recognise its growing role in professional work. Applicants may use AI tools to support preparation of their application, for example to research the role or structure written responses. However, applications must reflect the applicant’s own work and experience. AI tools should not be used during interviews or assessment activities unless this has been agreed in advance as a reasonable adjustment. Further guidance on the use of AI in recruitment can be found  here.We reserve the right to close adverts early due to the volume of applications we receive. While the closing date may change, all adverts will close at 23:59 to allow sufficient time for applications to be submitted on that day.We encourage you to apply at the earliest opportunity to avoid disappointment as once we have closed a vacancy you will be unable to submit your application.To find out how our managers will review your application, please take a look at our ‘ How we Recruit’ pages.Interviews are anticipated to be held from mid-September.Grade and Salary : £45,031 - £52,514 per annum including London weighting allowance Job ID : 155528Post Date : 17-Aug-2026Close Date : 13-Sep-2026Contact Person : Professor Andrew P. CopeContact Details : #####