Postdoctoral Research Scientist


Company:	University of Oxford
Salary:	£39,424 to £45,212 a year, pro rata
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Oxford, OX1 3PT
Working pattern:	On-site
Job type:	Contract
Posting date:	5 Oct 2026
Closing date:	19 Oct 2026

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Summary

This post will investigate how Parkinson’s disease-associated genetic perturbations alter mitochondrial function and cellular metabolism in human neurons. The postholder will extend, quality-control and use focused CRISPRi/a sgRNA libraries in iPSC-derived cortical neurons and validate priority findings in iPSC-derived dopaminergic neurons. Cellular responses will be characterised using established high-content imaging, quantitative cellular phenotyping and assays of neuronal metabolism, under the supervision of Dr Brent Ryan in the Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics.

The successful candidate will be based in the Ryan Group within the Laboratory of Molecular Neurodegeneration at the Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, South Parks Road, Oxford. The group has established expertise, protocols and experimental platforms for CRISPRi/a functional genomics, sgRNA design and cloning, iPSC culture and neuronal differentiation, high-content imaging, mitochondrial phenotyping and quantitative data analysis.

We welcome candidates with strong practical experience in one or more relevant areas, including CRISPR or molecular biology, functional genomics, iPSC or neuronal culture, high-content imaging, mitochondrial biology, cellular metabolism or quantitative cell biology. Training, established protocols and support from experienced members of the group will be provided for methods outside the successful candidate’s existing expertise.

Working within a collaborative and interdisciplinary research environment, the postholder will integrate these approaches to identify how common and rare Parkinson’s-associated genes affect neuronal mitochondrial biology, define shared cellular mechanisms and prioritise findings for further validation. The role provides an opportunity to build on the candidate’s existing strengths while developing broader expertise across functional genomics, human neuronal models and quantitative cellular phenotyping.

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