Postdoctoral Research Fellow


Company:	University of Southampton
Salary:	£36,636 - £47,389
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Southampton, SO17 1BJ
Working pattern:	On-site
Job type:	Contract
Posting date:	6 Aug 2026
Closing date:	13 Aug 2026

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Summary

The Opportunity

We are seeking an outstanding Research Fellow to join an ambitious translational oncology programme focused on improving precision treatment approaches for patients with gastrointestinal cancers.

This funded programme brings together laboratory scientists, clinicians, and molecular researchers to develop clinically relevant approaches for understanding therapeutic response and resistance in cancer.

The post offers a rare opportunity to contribute to a highly translational initiative operating at the interface of discovery science and patient care. The successful candidate will play a central role in shaping experimental strategy, generating clinically relevant biological insights, and supporting the progression of the programme towards future clinical application.

This is not a conventional postdoctoral role centred on a predefined set of experiments. It is an opportunity to contribute to the development of an evolving translational research platform with clear real-world relevance.

The Role

The Research Fellow will contribute to the scientific and translational development of the programme, including:

developing and optimising advanced experimental cancer models

leading functional studies examining therapeutic response and resistance

integrating biological and molecular data to support translational interpretation

contributing to clinically relevant reporting and communication of findings

supporting regulatory, governance, and translational preparation activities

helping shape experimental direction in collaboration with clinical and scientific investigators

The role requires a high degree of scientific independence, critical thinking, and translational judgement.

What we are looking for

We are seeking an individual with strong experimental expertise and an interest in clinically relevant cancer research.

Essential:

PhD (or equivalent) in cancer biology or a related discipline

Strong background in experimental oncology or cellular/molecular biology

Experience developing or optimising complex biological assays or model systems

Ability to interpret multifaceted biological data critically

Excellent communication and organisational skills

Evidence of scientific writing and publication

Desirable:

Experience working with translational or clinically aligned research programmes

Familiarity with cancer therapeutics, resistance biology, or tumour modelling

Experience integrating molecular and functional datasets

Understanding of research governance, ethics, or regulatory frameworks

Experience working within multidisciplinary environments

The Environment

The successful candidate will join a collaborative multidisciplinary research environment spanning:

translational cancer biology

clinical oncology and surgery

molecular profiling and computational analysis

The programme provides access to established infrastructure, high-quality clinical material, and strong translational support across Southampton and partner clinical centres.

Why this role is different

This position offers the opportunity to work within a genuinely translational programme designed with future clinical application in mind.

You will contribute not only to experimental delivery, but also to the development of approaches capable of bridging laboratory discovery and clinical decision-making.

The role is particularly suited to candidates interested in:

translational cancer research

clinically impactful science

multidisciplinary programme development

future leadership in translational oncology

Career Development

The post provides excellent opportunities for career progression and scientific development, including exposure to:

translational programme leadership

multidisciplinary clinical–scientific collaboration

clinically aligned research strategy

future grant and fellowship development

Informal enquiries

For informal discussion of the role, please contact the Innovation for Translation Research Group leads:

Professor Zoë Walters (Z.S.Walters@soton.ac.uk)

Professor Tim Underwood (T.J.Underwood@soton.ac.uk)

As a university we aim to create an environment where everyone can thrive and are proactive in fostering a culture of inclusion, respect and equality of opportunity. We believe that we can only truly meet our objectives if we are reflective of society, so we are passionate about creating a working environment in which you are free to bring your whole self to work. With a generous holiday allowance as well as additional university closure days we are committed to supporting our staff and students and open to a flexible working approach.

Apply by 11.59 pm UK time on the closing date. For assistance contact Recruitment on +44(0)2380 592750 or recruitment@soton.ac.uk quoting the job number.

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